MainStreet Libertyville honors volunteers at annual meeting

Submitted by MainStreet Libertyville

MainStreet Libertyville is a volunteer based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to preserve and promote downtown Libertyville. At its recent annual meeting members, volunteers and sponsors were recognized for their past support. This year's honorees included Nancy Meyer, John Doss, Libertyville Bank and Trust, Sunset Foods, Jeff McClurg, Candy Jacobsen, and Jack and Jen Waldvogel. Nick and Patty Saladino, owners of Café Pomigliano, were praised for their renovation of a downtown building into a new restaurant.

"Our volunteers are the backbone of the organization," Executive Director Pam Hume said. "In 2016 over 4,000 volunteer hours were donated to run the organization and host its 50-plus days of retail and community events. The support by the members and volunteers is what makes the MainStreet organization a success and our downtown a vibrant center of the community."

This year's Volunteer of the Year award was presented to John and Ginny DeReu, past co-chairs of the annual golf outing.

"Libertyville and MainStreet are special, and as Mayor Weppler has often indicated, volunteers are the secret to making things special," the DeReus said. "Libertyville's many service organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, the Lutheran Charities, PADS, the food pantries and the other church/civic groups, the Rotary, the VFW and Legion, all add to that special effect. But the downtown area belongs to the great cooperative efforts of the MainStreet team. We thank you and hope we can continue to serve in the future."

George and Christine Karahalios, owners of Townee Square Restaurant, received the Business Award known as the Dom Lentini award, in memoriam of a long time downtown business owner who was an avid supporter of the MainStreet Libertyville program. The award is presented each year to a downtown business owner for exceptional leadership and dedication in the promotion and benefit of the downtown community following the principles of the MainStreet Libertyville organization.

"A special thank you to Main Street, to the businesses, residents, and volunteers, for their generosity and all that they do to enhance Libertyville's identity and heritage," the Karahalioses said. "For the past 30 years, we have been truly honored to serve the food we love, in the town we love, to the people we love. And of course none of it is possible without the help of our dearest staff and family, whose faces our village has grown to love. Every day at the Townee serves as a constant reminder of how proud we are to be members of this extraordinary community."

For more information regarding volunteer opportunities or membership, call the office, at (847) 680-0336, visit www.mainstreetlibertyville.org, or like MainStreet Libertyville on Facebook.

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