Character does count

A Character Counts Pillar Award represents a Lisle-style "thank you" for those who contribute to making the community a better place to live, work and volunteer.

Lisle Mayor Joseph Broda will award the following recipients a Pillar at tonight's village board meeting.

Mackenzie Buchelt

Receiving the student category award for responsibility, Mackenzie Buchelt, 14, is in eighth grade at Lisle Junior High School.

Besides her studies and extracurricular activities, this young lady takes time to help her four younger siblings and volunteer at the White Sox/Bulls Academy in Lisle.

Her supervisors at the academy say she's a great role model for younger girls. She offers students positive reinforcement and suggestions on how to do drills.

Jim & Deede Gillfillan

Jim and Deede Gillfillan were "surprised" to be nominated for a Pillar award. The longtime Lisle residents are regular volunteers at PADS, the Sharing Connection and with the Rotary because they feel it is important to give back to their community.

"In retirement, volunteering gives you something to do, but also you have an obligation," Jim Gillfillan said.

He says volunteering together as a couple is like doing something with your best friend, and that makes it more fun than work.

The couple will receive a Pillar for citizenship in the adult category.

Katie Havertape

There is a sense of passion when honoree Katie Havertape, a social worker in Lisle Unit District 202, speaks about Snow Chapter programs.

"We are very proud of our high school numbers, because we had 103 students participate in Snowball from the school's 565 students," Havertape said.

The growing program is all about knowing who you are so that you can make good and healthy choices all through your life, she said.

In the service group category, Havertape will receive a Pillar for responsibility.

Mary Jean Houde

In the adult category, the Pillar of trustworthiness will be given to another retiree, Mary Jean Houde.

The Lisle volunteer is researching and working on the history of the Lisle Chamber of Commerce. She continues to use her executive skills as a member of the Lisle Transportation Advisory Commission.

In the past, Houde wrote both the international history of Woman's Clubs and the state history of the group. She is gathering information to someday do a similar history of the Lisle Woman's Club.

Diane Johnson

Tate Woods School early childhood teacher Diane Johnson teaches 3- to 5-year-old students screened to benefit from early childhood intervention.

Johnson says there is help available for any child delayed in development.

"We can help families find the right services," she said.

In Johnson's classes she goes the extra distance, using yoga to calm and develop core strength and sign language to help facilitate a child's ability to verbalize.

"In this profession, it takes a whole quality team who put children first," she said. "I have a wonderful group that helps me be the teacher that I am."

Johnson will receive the Pillar of fairness in the adult category.

Mary Lou Kalsted

Lisle village engineer/stormwater administrator Mary Lou Kalsted sees it as part of her job, but for the family she helped that was caught in a sticky situation, the village employee went above and beyond to help with complicated flood-related issues.

"The family is the one who should be getting the award, because they have been so patient and understanding of the whole process," said the village employee.

Kalsted will receive a Pillar for responsibility in the business category for her persistence and professional skills that helped a Lisle family.

Joe Knott

Finding an effective balance between family, work and volunteering is a challenge Joe Knott meets head on.

"I really care what happens in Lisle," Knott said. "It is where I live and work."

Knott volunteers on the Economic Development Committee and oversees its Incentive Subcommittee. His innovative incentives include a façade grant, demolition grant and retail grant for the downtown area.

"The grant program is doing very well, with a whole list of businesses that have become involved," Knott said.

For his accomplishment, Knott will receive the service group category Pillar for citizenship.

Marlee Moen

Marlee Moen, 16, holds a week-long Camp-for-a-Cause each summer for girls between the ages of 4 and 10 at her Lisle home.

"I wanted to share my love of kids and crafts," the Benet Academy sophomore said.

In her fourth year, Moen added an extra day to the schedule this year and will invite campers and their families to work at Feed My Starving Children, a program in Aurora that packs food to send to needy children around the world.

Moen will receive the Pillar for respect in the student category.

Tom Richardt

As coordinator for Social Justice and Peace at St. Joan of Arc Parish, Tom Richardt gives his help in countless ways.

Last year, he helped AIDS/ HIV patients in the Upendo Village in Kenya, Africa, and is currently working on STEP, a program designed to bring awareness and action to the elimination of poverty. He is involved in PADS, Harvest Sunday and FISH food pantry.

For his dedication to those in need, Richardt will receive the adult category Pillar for fairness.

Kristine Turano

Lisle resident Kristine Turano brings to her Peach Creek neighborhood three community events each year that draw upward of 70 children and their parents.

The mother's creative ideas include an Easter egg hunt with 1,400 eggs, a neighborhood potluck picnic and a pumpkin decorating activity.

"Every year it is a challenge to come up with the games and activities, but it all works out very well," Turano said. "Last year the kids were infatuated with the visit from the Lisle-Woodridge firefighters and fire truck."

Turano will receive the adult category Pillar for caring.

Dave VanKampen

Caring for the Lisle community is Dave VanKampen's personal mission, having learned the importance of volunteering from his parents, Hank and Hazel VanKampen.

He works tirelessly for the Partners for Parks and the Lisle Eyes to the Skies committee to bring residents the best activities that encourage families to have fun together.

VanKampen will receive the Pillar for respect in the adult category.

VFW Post 5695

Another service group to be honored with a Pillar for caring is the Ross Bishop VFW Post 5695 for its donated Toys-R-Us gift certificates given to DARE essay winners for several years.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education is a popular educational program in Lisle schools that the Lisle Police Department operates.

Representing the veteran organization, post Cmdr. Jerry Neuberg and former post Cmdr. Steve Wandtke are at every DARE graduation and lend their support whenever needed.

Volunteers wanted

The Lisle Community Character Alliance is in need of enthusiastic members.

The Character Counts organization created the Pillar Awards, sponsors the Lisle Teens With Character and shares in the 5K Scarecrow Scramble.

You could be part of the next Pillar award process. Contact Patty Cavalier at (630) 271-4144 for details. Help spread the word that good character counts.