Sugar Grove names Citizen of the Year

If there is a fundraiser to support or a volunteer needed in Sugar Grove, chances are Helen Jorgensen is involved.

That’s part of the reason the 48-year resident of the village was named the 2012 Sugar Grove Citizen of the Year, presented Friday at the annual Corn Boil.

“Her friends were very surprised that Helen had never been nominated or received the award,” said Shari Baum, executive director of the Sugar Grove Chamber of Commerce. “After the first of the year I started to receive calls. She had many letters of support. She is a great recipient of the award because of her community involvement and commitment to the community.”

Jorgensen moved to Sugar Grove with her husband, Russell, in 1964 from Michigan. Nominees described Jorgensen as “one of the unsung heroes that makes Sugar Grove a good place to live,” and as an “ambassador” for Sugar Grove.

An active member of the Sugar Grove United Methodist Church, Jorgensen has volunteered her time working at the local newspaper, donated blood, and was among the first women to volunteer with the Sugar Grove fire department. Furthermore, Jorgensen drove a school bus for Kaneland District 302 for about 10 years, worked as a rural mail carrier for many years and volunteered as an election judge.

The Citizen of the Year Award was established in 1998 by the village and the Sugar Grove Chamber of Commerce to recognize an individual or group that best exemplifies the village’s pioneering spirit.