by Kristen Kucharski
FEATURING RESIDENTS WHO INSPIRE THE COMMUNITY IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE WAY
Each year Glancer Magazine features a distinct group of residents who are doing extraordinary things, making a difference in the lives of others by giving them hope, guidance or inspiration. Each is so talented and has persevered through all that COVID-19 has presented this past year. Their stories will touch your heart and awaken your spirit. Here are Glancer Magazine's 15 Fascinating Faces of 2020.
Edward French
ST. CHARLES–Edward loves living and working in the town he loves for the past 20 years with his wife, Karen and three children, Mirabella, Danny, and Eddie. He is the owner and President of Metro Staff Inc. in Elgin, but most know him as an owner of the new Wahlburgers in St. Charles.
His involvement is strategic, financial, and marketing, and as one might guess, it has been difficult to open a new business in the middle of a pandemic where they have yet to be allowed to service the restaurant at full capacity; however, Edward feels so blessed that the community has supported Donnie and Wahlburgers at a very high level which validates the very reason they chose to open in St. Charles – a place they all live and call home.
“My favorite thing about being involved with Wahlburgers is the fun atmosphere,” Ed says. “This is especially true when Donnie is in the restaurant. The patrons just love that they can actually meet him and spend some quality time with him.”
In his spare time, he coaches whichever sport his kids are playing, and he and his wife support local charities such as Cals Angels, CASA, Tuskegee etc. They also host a large cancer event every year in their St. Charles home for Northwestern Hospital Cancer department called Living Well and have raised over $5 million dollars over the past 10 years.
For Edward, 2020 has been a year of adjusting on the fly and learning to appreciate family time.
Photos by Mike Catuara Unless Otherwise Submitted
