Bolingbrook Black History Month Awareness Club has been hosting special celebrations for nearly 30 years

There are many ways to celebrate Black History Month, but in Bolingbrook a very special event has been put on a by a very special group of people for nearly 30 years.

Anita Kontoh Scott and Bernard Winston co-founded the Bolingbrook Black History Month Awareness Club in 1997.

"I'm passionate about giving back, that's my nature," Winston said.

"It's always worth it if you can change someone's life," said Kontoh Scott.

The pair started the club to fill a gap they saw in awareness of and activity around Black History Month in their community.

"While attending middle school, typically people here went to Chicago or Aurora," Winston said. "There was no place within our perimeter to celebrate Black History Month."

"When it was Black history, I was like, 'It's Black history, what are we doing?' and [I heard] 'What is Black history?' and I thought, we need an awareness club," said Kontoh Scott.

So they did it themselves. Now, almost three decades later, they are planning their annual event, which includes performances, games, crafts and refreshments. Organizers also hand out college scholarships.

But it's also more than that.

"I want them to feel they should be proud of their individuality, proud of their heritage," said Kontoh Scott.

The 28th Bolingbrook Black History Month Awareness Club event is at Bolingbrook High School on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event is free to attend.