Arlington Heights announces Hearts of Gold winners

Among the 11 winners of this year's Arlington Heights Hearts of Gold awards are the founder of Escorted Transportation Service, which uses volunteers to provide rides to seniors, and the couple that founded Help USA Troops to provide "comfort boxes" to military personnel overseas.

The Arlington Heights Special Events Commission created the awards program as way to acknowledge "unsung heroes" who contribute to the community but are rarely recognized. Winners, who were named Tuesday, will be honored at a dinner Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Rolling Green Country Club.

Here's a look at this year's honorees:

• Joann Langley - Mentor Heart of Gold. The fine and performing arts assistant at John Hersey High School is the co-founder of a nationally recognized show choir competition, Chicagoland Showcase. She is considered the glue that holds Hersey's fine arts program together.

• Ann Udell - Best Neighbor Heart of Gold. The Northgate resident welcomes new neighbors, serves as a Northgate Civic Association Trustee, works as a block captain and volunteers for neighborhood beautification projects, as well as with a variety of other church and philanthropic groups.

• John Meyers Jr. - Educator Heart of Gold. The instructional aide for students with challenges at Prospect High School is dedicated to helping students, oversees many clubs, offers one-on-one assistance and created a safe table in the lunchroom to encourage students to sit together.

• Kathy Kasprowicz - Young at Heart. She started the 10-year-old Escorted Transportation Service/Northwest, an agency that lines up volunteers to drive older adults to medical appointments. Her volunteer activities also include Catholic Charities, PADS and many other groups.

• Dawn and Tom Hedrick - Heroic Heart of Gold. They founded "Help USA Troops" after the loss of their son-in-law, Marine Lance Cpl. James Stack, in Afghanistan. The organization provides "comfort boxes" to military personnel overseas. It has grown to more than 50 drop-off locations and many volunteers.

• Hannah Mulroe - Young Champion Heart of Gold. The John Hersey High School student is involved in many school activities, including student council, dance and cross country, and she volunteers for activities aiding Safe Haven, homeless veterans and inner-city children.

• Carol Frieburg - Volunteer Heart of Gold. Her causes include the Arlington Heights Historical Society, WTTW telethons, PADS, a bell choir, PEO and Goede Questers, where she serves as president. She also volunteers at events for the chamber of commerce and plays piano at the Moorings.

• Steve Von Boeckman - Community Spirit Heart of Gold. In addition to involvement in many activities at his church, he helps with the annual SALUTE run and other running events, and he cared for his mother-in-law, who suffered from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, in his home for years.

• Westgate Dental Care (Dr. Peter Kics) - Business Leadership Heart of Gold. The practice contributes to a variety of local causes, schools, clubs and organizations and has provided more than $80,000 in dental care to those facing financial hardship through its "Dentistry from the Heart" program.

• Lynnea Semasko - Kenneth M. Bonder Beautification Hearts of Gold. She has been involved in beautification projects in Surrey Ridge West for 44 years and has been vice president of the Arlington Beautification Council for 18 years. She mentors other artists and volunteers at church PADS.

• Cordelia Skuldt - Pam Stocking Heart of Gold. Her efforts to bring awareness to pulmonary hypertension included creating a "Blue Lip Kiss Challenge" social media campaign that raised more than $11,000 and being a teen representative on the Advisory Board of Lurie Children's Hospital.

A more extensive description of their contributions will run in a future edition of the Neighbor section and is posted on the village's website. Dinner information and tickets also are on the website, vah.com.