Community support efforts continue for Lake in the Hills bakery vandalized in a hate crime incident

LAKE IN THE HILLS — As residents may be aware, UpRising Bakery and Café, located at 2104 West Algonquin Road, at one point, had plans to host a “child-friendly” drag show scheduled for the evening of July 23.

However, local law enforcement soon reported that they were investigating concerns they had received from citizens in regards to the drag show performance.

The police department later announced that no “violations of the Village of Lake in the Hills Municipal Code were found and no nudity or sexually explicit content” was discovered to be a part of the drag show event.

Despite the reassurance from the Lake in the Hills Police Department to locals, UpRising Bakery and Café owner Corinna Bendel Sac continued to receive threats against her establishment, though, at the time, she had no plans to back down from hosting the scheduled event.

Unfortunately, Sac was eventually forced to cancel the drag show performance when in the early morning hours of July 23, Lake in the Hills Police officers were dispatched to the bakery and café regarding reports of criminal damage done to the property.

The suspect was able to flee on foot, but an Algonquin Police Department sergeant had seen the suspect leave the scene and was instrumental in taking the suspect into custody.

Authorities soon identified Joseph I. Collins, 24, of the 11700 block of South Ridgeway Avenue in Alsip, as the individual responsible for the extensive damage done to the property.

Collins had broken several of the bakery and café’s windows, as well as had spray-painted hateful messages on the building.

After his arrest, Collins was taken to the Lake in the Hills Police Department, where he was eventually transported to the McHenry County Correctional facility in Woodstock for his bond hearing.

He was charged with one count of committing a hate crime, a Class 4 felony, and one count of criminal property damage, another Class 4 felony. Collins’ bond was set at $10,000. He was released from jail on July 23, after posting his bond.

Following the news of the vandalism incident, crowds of residents from across several communities lined up outside of UpRising Bakery and Café on July 24, to support the business upon being able to reopen with limited services and staff.

The support for the local business didn’t stop there, however, as an area resident named Megan Rose decided to start a Go Fund Me page in support of UpRising Bakery and Café.

“I am openly proud, gay, and the happiest I have ever been living with my girlfriend in this quaint little suburb of Chicago,” wrote Rose on the Go Fund Me page, as she described her excitement for the drag show.

She continued, “But that very same excitement quickly turned into sadness as I read that the UpRising [Bakery and Café] had been vandalized with homophobic slurs and destruction of property. Please work with me to Rise Up and help UpRising continue to do what they do best—offer a safe and welcoming space to those who may be struggling to find just that.”

As of July 25, the Go Fund Me fundraiser has raised over $11,000, far bypassing its initial goal of $5,000.

Additionally, Sac was able to give an update on the status of the bakery and café after all of the community support, she and her staff have received.

“We’re open today (July 25), but we don’t have very much to offer following yesterday’s amazing support, which resulted in us selling out of everything,” Sac wrote on the UpRising Bakery and Café Facebook page. “We’re waiting on our bakery ingredient delivery and will place the order today for the café food ingredients. The windows that were busted were our storage room windows (thankfully), but that means there are large amounts of glass and debris on a lot of our stock, which will need to be thrown away. This is why we’re limited on the café menu.”

Sac continued her update by telling patrons that for the time being, only food items that were stored in the walk-in cooler/freezer are safe to serve until they can receive their delivery of ingredients for their bakery and café items.

“We are working really hard behind the scenes to get things made again for a steady stock of drag baked goods. I do need to take some time this morning to call insurance, do inventory, etc.,” Sac stated. “If you want to come out and support [us] today, we can do [a] limited café menu, fresh coffee, beers, and mimosas. We have a hell of a lot of mimosa stuff!”

Residents interested in donating to the Go Fund Me page in support of UpRising Bakery and Café can visit gofund.me/368e749f.