Friendship award goes to resident, architect
Friendship Village of Schaumburg tonight will again present the winners of its annual Sterling Friendship and Sterling Distinguished Service awards.
The 10th-anniversary Sterling Friendship Award Gala, benefiting the philanthropic programs of the Friendship Senior Service Foundation, will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Stonegate Conference Centre in Hoffman Estates.
The evening's festivities include dinner, dancing and entertainment by comedian Tom Dreesen, Frank Sinatra's longtime opening act and a frequent guest of Jay Leno's and David Letterman's late-night talk shows.
Architect, professor and tennis professional R. Thomas Jaeger of Schaumburg is the 2007 recipient of the Sterling Friendship Award.
The award was created by Friendship Village to honor adults 65 and older who embody values of living and giving into their later years.
Past winners have included such nationally known figures as "Today" show weatherman Willard Scott, Dr. Joyce Brothers, entertainer and author Art Linkletter, as well as such local luminaries as legendary DePaul University Coach Ray Meyer, historian and artist Margaret Burroughs of Chicago and Schaumburg community activist Ruth Park.
A resident of Friendship Village's Crosswell Trace Garden Homes, Jaeger served on the community's not-for-profit board of directors for 14 years, including two terms as chair. When his firm was selected to design Friendship Center, Jaeger served as lead architect for the project that will houses cultural, social, educational and spiritual events for seniors.
"When it was first finished a few weeks ago, I stood across the lake to look at it," Jaeger said. "It was powerful and very emotional because the marriage of water, sky and land is so abundant at Friendship Center that I believe it captures the essence of all religious worship."
Distinguished service: One of the nation's top leaders in the retirement services field, Dr. Larry Minnix, president and CEO of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, is the winner of this year's Sterling Distinguished Service Award.
This award recognizes people or organizations that provide exemplary service to older adults.
"The Sterling Distinguished Service Award was established as a way of calling attention to an extremely important enterprise -- the work of ensuring that people not only are able to live longer lives, but to live better lives," said Robert M. Alston, the president and CEO of Friendship Senior Options, the parent company of Friendship Village and the foundation.
Medallions of honor:ŒIn recognition of the Sterling Gala's 10th anniversary year, Friendship Village is also bestowing Medallions of Honor on 10 people who've helped shape Friendship Village.
The honorees are Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson; Friendship Village residents Wil Blum, Herb Demmel and June Wilson; Friendship Village associates Jackie Elliott, Joe Xanthopoulos and Pat Woollard; longtime volunteer Lecia Conroy and her service dog Benny; Friendship Village Counsel Don Hemmesch; and past Sterling Chair Geoff Roehl.