Tony Pratt, a Sun City resident, enjoys volunteering and encourages others to donate their time. Pratt starting working with the Fox Valley Music Foundation in Aurora. The foundation promotes local musical artists and provides educational programs to help foster a love and appreciation for music in the community.
Pratt said, “I got involved when I met a record store owner in Batavia. Kiss the Sky record store owner Steve Warrenfeltz, the former President of the Fox Valley Music Foundation, got me interested, and that’s how it began.”
Pratt and Warrenfeltz started by installing audio and video equipment at the foundation’s live performance facility named ‘The Venue’ located at 21 South Broadway in Aurora Illinois. The program venue was once a drug store that was donated by the city of Aurora and then remodeled and converted for live performances by the Foundation.
“We got the equipment at just the right time before Covid hit. I say that because we were able to stream performances when audiences were not able to attend. The performers and a few technicians worked tirelessly to make performances available on YouTube and Facebook,” Pratt said.
This work was not just a hobby, but a lifeline for the community during a challenging time.
The Pratts also give their time to four-legged friends. They have given the gift of a loving foster home to many pets.
“We have fostered and adopted six golden retrievers. Our current retriever is named Pandak and he came from China,” said Pratt. “We got him from a dog rescue named ‘As Good As Gold.’ They rescue dogs from all over the world. When Pandak arrived from China he had to be in quarantine for 30 days in California and then flown to Chicago. We enjoy watching the dogs transform as they get used to our home environment. It gives us a lot of pleasure. They are all senior dogs with medical issues, and we enjoy them tremendously.”
Pratt has also volunteered to help with fundraising for As Good As Gold. He donated his time providing videography for the organization.
Pratt said, “My wife, Darlene, and I have videoed fundraising events, and then As Good as Gold have streamed them. One past theme was the Kentucky Derby using the backdrop of the race track. The As Good as Gold women came adorned with hats or fascinators to celebrate the Gala.”
Pratt’s joy in this work is palpable, and it’s a testament to the transformative power of volunteering.
In a vastly different arena, Pratt’s experience working with the software Prepress has enabled him to volunteer his skills to these organizations. Prepress is a program that prepares page files for printing and checking for errors before the final printing. It’s a crucial part of the printing process that takes place between the creation of a print layout and the final printing.
“I went back to school when technology was changing to the current digital workflow. The printing industry changed rapidly from linotypes to the current computerized workflows. I took classes at the College of DuPage part time to stay current with the trade changes and eventually graduated from [Northern Illinois University] with a teaching degree. I used that training to eventually instruct current employees at printing companies the computerized technologies. After retirement, I instructed several graphic art classes at Elgin Community College,” he said.
Pratt has also always had an interest in woodworking. He has used his woodworking skills to build for Special Needs and Group Homes.
“I primarily built raised planting beds for the residents to enjoy gardening. The raised beds enabled wheelchair-bound individuals to enjoy gardening,” he shared.
Along these lines, Pratt is a current member of the Woodchucks club and has developed a passion for building bass guitars.
“The guitars I built are modeled after the classic 63 Fender p-bass. I purchase the hardware from Fender. The difference is I build my bass guitars using exotic mostly African wood. Since these exotic woods are typically heavier than most guitar woods currently being used by mass producers of instruments, I have developed a method of laminating the heavier wood over a much lighter chambered core wood which results in the bass actually weighing less than commercially available guitar,” he said.
Recently he has coached a fellow Woodchuck in the construction of a bass for his grandson. Pratt emphasizes the importance of giving back and encourages everyone to volunteer their time and skills.
