Passenger Link – November 2025

Veterans Day

On Veterans Day, we pause to honor the courage, dedication, and sacrifice of all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. At CityLink, we’re celebrating our own veterans by sharing thank-you messages in our lobby to show our heartfelt appreciation for their service. We are honored to collaborate with you and deeply appreciative of the freedoms your service has safeguarded across our nation.

Thanksgiving Holiday Hours

A reminder that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, November 26, the last line-up departing from the Transit Center will be at 8:45 p.m. and will return to the garage after reaching the end of the outbound route. There will be no service on Thursday, November 27 in observance of the holiday, but will resume Friday, November 28.

Travel Training

Members of CityLink staff visited Pekin and East Peoria Community High Schools during October to provide travel training for students and teachers. The program is designed to help participants become more familiar with using public transportation. Teachers at both schools recognized that many of their students rely heavily on CityLink’s services, as some may be unable to obtain a driver’s license.

During the travel training sessions, students learned about emergency exit locations, how to get on and off the bus, the cost of a bus pass, and where to place their fare upon boarding. They also received instructions on traveling safely with mobility devices secured on the bus and how to inform the bus operator when they approach their desired stop to ensure a safe disembarkation. As transportation experts, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience with the students, teachers, and staff, and we are excited to take our travel training program on the road to assist others throughout the greater Peoria area.

Community Engagement

On Thursday, October 2, 2025 CityLink participated in the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce Oktoberfest Business Expo at the Par-A-Dice Hotel. The business expo allowed CityLink, and other organizations in the community, to show off all of the resources they can offer. A fortunate winner took home our raffle prize: a Farberware cooking set!

 Board of Trustee Treasurer & Chair of the ADA Committee Patti Sterling Polk attended the 3rd Annual Beat the Funk out of MS event on Saturday, October 4, 2025. This event blends music, dance, and community spirit, offering a vibrant and uplifting atmosphere where friends, families, and supporters of the National MS Society come together for a night of celebration and solidarity!

Earlier this year, members of CityLink’s Culture Committee spent the day planting vegetable seeds that have produced a bountiful harvest! On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, OSF invited CityLink and Busey Bank to distribute fresh produce, while also offering information about public transportation and financial literacy. 

We had such a frightfully fun time at WTVP’s Halloween Spooktacular on Thursday,
October 23, 2025! Kids showed off their coolest costumes, met their favorite PBS cartoon characters, and had tons of fun exploring the studio.

Stuff-A-Bus

The 38th Annual Stuff-A-Bus food drive to benefit the Peoria Friendship House of Christian
Service officially kicked off on Friday, October 10, 2025 with a press conference at the
Kroger store on Lindbergh Drive in Peoria. Representatives from CityLink, the Peoria
Friendship House of Christian Service, Cumulus Media, WMBD, and Kroger were on hand to kick off the annual food drive. This year, Stuff-A-Bus plans to collect 10 tons or more of food to refill their pantry.

To mark the kickoff this year, Cumulus Radio station Z92.3 joined us for a live broadcast,
encouraging listeners to stop by the kickoff event and donate. Additionally, cheerleaders from Coach Bre Cottage Cheerleading & Dance Company, Richwoods High School cheerleaders and marching band, and the Peoria Rivermen mascot provided some extra enthusiasm to the event. Following the press conference, the Peoria Mustangs hockey team helped us start to stuff the bus with Kroger’s donations. We were thrilled that CityLink team members were present for our kickoff, and that Eric Halvorson, Manager of Public Affairs for the Central Division of Kroger, was able to join us from Indiana.

We’ve been spending the weekends at various Kroger stores across the Greater Peoria area, collecting donations for the Peoria Friendship House with some special friends! We’ve been lucky to have the support of the Peoria Police Department Cadets, Fondulac District Library, the Pekin Police Department, and the U.S. Air Force! We are extremely grateful for the support from our community for such a great cause, and are pleased with all of the donations that have been provided.

Rivermen Hockey Game

Join us for a Peoria Rivermen hockey game on November 28-29 for the “PEANUTS” Holiday
Celebration Weekend presented by CityLink! The Rivermen will be holding a raffle for a PEANUTS specialty jersey autographed by the team, which can be entered by bringing in a non-perishable donation for the Stuff-A-Bus food drive.

Wellness at CityLink

Heart Attack Awareness

A heart attack occurs when an artery that sends blood and oxygen to the heart is blocked. Fatty, cholesterol-containing deposits build up over time, forming plaques in the heart’s arteries. If a plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form. The clot can block arteries, causing a heart attack. During a heart attack, a lack of blood flow causes the tissue in the heart muscle to die.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a heart attack vary. Some people have mild symptoms. Others have severe symptoms. Some people have no symptoms. Common heart attack symptoms include:

· Chest pain that may feel like pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing or aching.

· Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth or sometimes the upper belly.

· Cold sweat.

· Fatigue.

· Heartburn or indigestion.

· Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness.

· Nausea.

· Shortness of breath.

Women may have atypical symptoms such as brief or sharp pain felt in the neck, arm or back.

Sometimes, the first symptom sign of a heart attack is sudden cardiac arrest. Some heart attacks strike suddenly. But many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. Also, chest pain or pressure (angina) that keeps happening and doesn’t go away with rest may be an early warning sign. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.

Get help right away if you think you’re having a heart attack. Take these steps:

· Call for emergency medical help. 

· Take nitroglycerin, if prescribed to you by a health care provider. Take it as instructed while awaiting emergency help.

· Take aspirin, if recommended. Taking aspirin during a heart attack may reduce heart damage by preventing blood clotting.