Behind the Celebration
Above the Septemberfest crowd, a large screen carried a message worth celebrating: “Amateur ‘Ham’ Radio Serving the Community!” Beside the Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club’s logo were four simple commitments: communicating, learning, giving back, and having fun.
The photograph from Schaumburg’s 2026 Septemberfest captures that message above a Schaumburg Park District trailer, with festivalgoers passing below. At the bottom of the display, a short line brings the story home: “A proud Septemberfest partner.”
For the Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club, known as SARC, that partnership had a practical purpose. The club organized volunteers for public-service communication support during the September 5–7 celebration. Behind the public recognition was the work of preparing assignments, equipping volunteers, and answering the Village’s request for help.[1]
Members Stepped Forward Before the Festival Began
One of the clearest examples of SARC’s commitment appears in the club’s August 20 business meeting minutes.
Howard Mitchell, KD9WSV, brought the materials volunteers would need for Septemberfest: numbered identification cards, parking passes, food discount tickets, and loaner vests. Members were asked to collect their assigned items, with badges and vests to be returned after the event.
Then came a small moment that says a great deal about the club. Howard reported that just one volunteer slot remained open for the three-day event. Eliot Libner, N9EPA, volunteered to cover it.[2]
A schedule becomes a commitment when someone puts a name beside an assignment. That final offer of help is a concrete example of members taking responsibility for the work their club had agreed to support.
At the September 2 board meeting, Howard’s planning update confirmed that the Village of Schaumburg had again requested SARC’s support for all three days. The minutes also thanked members who had volunteered.[3]
What Amateur Radio Contributes to a Community Event
For someone new to ham radio, its role at a festival may not be obvious. SARC’s public-service work helps people at different locations exchange information through an organized radio network. The value comes from operators who listen carefully, report clearly, and know how to work together.[4]
The club’s 2026 Septemberfest guidance described possible assignments such as providing location updates, passing along observations, relaying requests, and maintaining contact with Net Control—the station coordinating radio traffic. Exact responsibilities depended on each assignment and the event coordinator’s instructions.[1]
That guidance defined a supporting role: volunteers were to observe, communicate accurately, and follow the event’s command structure. Police, fire, medical, and Village personnel retained their own responsibilities.
It is useful, disciplined work. A clear report can give an organizer information from a location they cannot see. An acknowledged instruction helps everyone know what happens next. Those ordinary exchanges explain why practiced communication belongs in the planning of a busy public event.
A Celebration With Many Moving Parts
Local coverage helps put that preparation in perspective. The Daily Herald identified 2026 as Schaumburg’s 55th annual Septemberfest, with a program spanning September 5–7 at the Al Larson Cultural Center and Robert O. Atcher Municipal Campus.
Its preview listed concerts, Taste of Schaumburg, arts and crafts, a Sunday drone show, and Monday’s Labor Day parade. The main-stage lineup included Night Ranger, White Lion, Warrant, and Max Weinberg’s Jukebox.[5]
A separate Village notice published by the Daily Herald detailed temporary road closures and parking restrictions, including additional changes for the September 7 parade along Summit Drive.[6]
Together, those reports illustrate the coordination behind the celebration. Entertainment schedules, vehicle access, parade movements, and volunteer reporting locations all require preparation. In that setting, SARC’s commitment to organized communication had a clear purpose.
A Partnership Built Through Previous Service
SARC brought an established Septemberfest relationship into 2026. The club’s earlier records document both the time members gave and the preparation behind their assignments.
| Year | Reported contribution |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 13 volunteers and more than 93 hours, including preparation and event operations, supporting the Septemberfest parade.[7] |
| 2025 | 26 volunteers and more than 80 service hours, according to a Village recognition notice reproduced in SARC’s December board minutes.[8] |
The 2024 report describes advance radio testing, communication between assigned locations and event command, and suggestions gathered afterward to improve future participation. In 2025, Village Emergency Management and Accreditation Manager Tracy Raimondo presented the club with a plaque recognizing its service.[7][8]
These are earlier-year records, rather than totals for 2026. They show the experience and continuing relationship behind this year’s volunteer effort.
Fifty Years of Radio, Friendship, and Giving Back
The Septemberfest partnership also fits a larger SARC milestone: the club’s 50th anniversary in 2026. Its anniversary article celebrates five decades of learning, operating, friendship, and public service.[9]
The festival photograph makes that tradition visible to people who may never have attended a club meeting. It presents amateur radio as something approachable and useful, with an invitation that needs little explanation: “All ages welcome!”
That is an encouraging introduction to the hobby. Someone passing the display might be interested in electronics, curious about communicating over the air, or looking for a meaningful way to volunteer. SARC offers a place to begin that conversation.
Thank You to the People Behind the Partnership
Thank you to the SARC members who made time for Septemberfest, to Howard Mitchell for coordinating the documented preparations, and to Eliot Libner for stepping forward when the final assignment needed a volunteer. Thanks also go to the Village staff, event organizers, public-safety personnel, and fellow volunteers whose work supports Schaumburg’s community celebrations.
The message on the screen deserves to carry beyond Labor Day weekend. Communicating, learning, giving back, and having fun are all reasons to get involved.
Curious about amateur radio? Visit a SARC meeting, explore the club’s public-service activities, or learn about joining SARC. Visitors are welcome at club meetings, including people who have not yet earned an amateur radio license.[10]
Sources and Further Reading
- SARC Septemberfest 2026 Public Service. Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club. Event dates, volunteer arrangements, and role guidance. ↩
- Business Meeting Minutes, August 20, 2026. Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club, page 6. Volunteer materials and Eliot Libner’s offer to fill the remaining assignment. ↩
- Board Meeting Minutes, September 2, 2026. Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club, page 4. Village request for support across all three festival days. ↩
- Public Service. Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club. Background on the club’s communication-support work. ↩
- Big names, big fun: Schaumburg Septemberfest returns Sept. 5–7. Luke Zurawski, Daily Herald. Festival preview published September 1, 2026. ↩
- Schaumburg to impose temporary traffic and parking restrictions around Septemberfest. Village of Schaumburg notice published by the Daily Herald, August 31, 2026. ↩
- Board of Directors Meeting, September 4, 2024. Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club. Historical parade-support report. ↩
- Board Meeting Minutes, December 3, 2025. Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club, pages 4–5. Reproduces Village recognition of the club’s 2025 Septemberfest service. ↩
- SARC 50th Anniversary: Celebrating 50 Years of Amateur Radio, Service, and Friendship. Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club. ↩
- Monthly Club Meetings. Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club. Visitor information. ↩