MOOSEHEART, IL, April 30 - Although spring has officially been the season of record since mid-March, it is often not until May that one can reliably count on it to look like spring in northern Illinois.

There are buds on trees and flowers and, soon enough, farm crops will be planted.

At Mooseheart, May is the time for harvesting, the month when its graduating seniors leave the nest in which they have lived and try the wings they have been growing in their time at the Child City.

But May is so much more than that. From the Maypole dance by the school's Kindergarten and first-grade students, to Mooseheart High School's Commencement on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, the month is chock full of events.

"It's great to have this opportunity for our kids to celebrate their achievements at this time of the year," Mooseheart Executive Director Scott Hart said. "Most graduations are about recognizing kids' academic achievements. At Mooseheart, we're celebrating these kids' lives.  We're celebrating young men and women who have grown up here, in some cases, from elementary school to middle school and then through high school. We're celebrating their graduation to a life of independence."

Not long after the Maypole celebration by Mooseheart's youngest schoolchildren, the process of transition begins. The school's Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) will learn the name of its student commanding officer at 9:30 a.m. on May 1 at the annual change of command ceremony. Current company commander Krystal Ellsworth will formally transfer command to a member of the junior class.

Other school-related highlights for the month include the Spring Band Concert, which takes place at the House of God at 2:30 p.m. on May 14; the school-wide Honors and Awards Ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on May 20 at the Fieldhouse and the Fifth and Eighth Grade Promotion Exercises, which, this year, takes place May 22 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel as part of the 2009 International Convention of the Moose organization.

"It's an opportunity for us to see the reward and commitment for raising a community of kids," Hart said. "It re-energizes the staff, even though it's a lot of work. They see these kids who were maybe struggling in middle school or as freshmen, and we weren't sure if they were cut out for being a Mooseheart student. And now we see them walking across the stage and getting awards and honors and graduating."

With the '09 International Moose Convention in Chicago, there will be an overflow crowd of as much as 4,000, from all over North America and Britain, in the Mooseheart Fieldhouse to watch 25 seniors graduate at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 23. The experience is emotional for those in the crowd, and even more moving for those on-stage.

"Every year, it's great to see the men and women of the Moose come out and see our kids' achievements," Hart said. "But having a Convention in Chicago, where the Fieldhouse is full from front to back is wonderful. You have those 25 seniors, and there's already enough emotions on the day. But when they look out and see all those people who care about them and have a stake in their lives, it's overwhelming for them, and the tears will be rolling."

Another fixture to the annual Mooseheart calendar takes place May 16, one week before graduation when the Blessing of the Bikes motorcycle run takes place. For each of the past three years, an increasing number of motorcycle-riding Moose have come to celebrate the children of Mooseheart and to receive a blessing for a safe riding season.

This year, Jean Davidson, the granddaughter of one of the founders of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company will be the event's first Guest of Honor. Davidson, who is passionate about education, will speak to Mooseheart's elementary school children on May 14.
(A complete list of events is at the end of this release.)

Mooseheart Child City & School is a 1,000-acre community and school for children and teens in need of a secure home, located just south of Batavia, IL, between Illinois Route 31 and Randall Road.

Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations - the great majority of which come from the 1.1 million men and women of the Moose fraternal organization, in more than 1,800 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters located throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus.

Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten-through-high-school academic program, plus art, music, vocational training and interscholastic sports. It is an extremely nurturing and student-tailored program, with an average student-teacher ratio of 12-1.

Mooseheart students who complete their studies with a 3.0 GPA or better (4.0=A) are eligible for up to five years of annually renewable scholarship funding, covering tuition, room and board in an amount comparable to that required for an in-state student at an Illinois public university.

Mooseheart is currently home to nearly 230 students, ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors. Applications for admission to Mooseheart are considered from any family whose children are, for whatever reason, lacking a stable home environment. Mooseheart boasts its own U.S. Post Office and a fully functioning branch of Fifth Third Bank.

In addition to Mooseheart, Moose International also supports Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community near Jacksonville, FL founded in 1922; and conducts more than $90 million worth of community service programs annually.

Founded in 1888, the Moose organization has long offered its members an opportunity to do good for others while celebrating life, with family, social, and sporting activities. For more information on the Moose organization, visit the websites at www.Mooseintl.org and www.Mooseheart.org  or call 630-966-2229.