Arlington Hts. honors the 2012 Hearts of Gold winners
The Arlington Heights Special Events Commission is proud to announce the 2012 Hearts of Gold Awards.
The winners will be honored at the Hearts of Gold Awards Dinner Saturday, Feb. 11, at European Crystal Banquet & Conference Center, 519 W. Algonquin Road.
The Hearts of Gold recognizes individuals who work or live in the community and enrich the quality of life through their contributions and acts of kindness.
One of the goals of this program is to acknowledge individuals who typically do not receive communitywide recognition for their outstanding efforts.
This year's program will also incorporate a special recognition of the Village's 125th anniversary since its incorporation.
Linda McDonald
Mentor AwardLinda McDonald is owner and operator of the McDonald Dance Academy in Arlington Heights, which offers dance classes in all the disciplines #8212; jazz, tap, modern, ballet, hip hop and musical theater. She has about 500 students age 3 through high school and about 80 percent of the students who start dancing with her continue all the way through high school.
However, Linda doesn't just instruct the students in dance, but uses dance to teach life lessons. As one student put it, #8220;She took me under her wing and nurtured my mind and being through her philosophies of art, which directly parallel philosophies of life.#8221; Linda takes time out of her busy schedule to prepare students for auditions, counsel them on which dance groups are their best fit, and accompanies them to the audition for support.
Linda was nominated for this award by students that have been directly impacted by Linda's mentoring. Linda's commitment to her students is truly inspiring and she is well deserving of this year's Mentor Heart of Gold.
Dolores Raymond Shields
Best Neighbor AwardRay and Dodie Shields have lived in Arlington Heights since 1961. Now retired, their lives are filled with family, working in the community and doing kind acts around their neighborhood. The couple supports local fundraisers, repairs broken equipment, drives those in need to medical appointments and even took care of a local skunk problem.
Ray and Dodie take turns behind the snowblower clearing sidewalks and driveways up and down the street. They help care for a neighbor with breast cancer, take friends to appointments or out to eat, rescued one neighbor who had fallen with a broken hip, take care of plants and property for neighbors suffering from debilitating aliments.
Their acts of kindness help build a strong sense of community within their neighborhood.
Ray and Dodie continue to volunteer for the Nurses Club Lending Closet, PADS, and at Our Lady of the Wayside Church. They believe that if you do good things, then good things will follow.
Tony Calzaretta, Mary Woods, Kate Costello
Educator AwardSt. Viator High School's theater department has a rich tradition of producing high quality and challenging shows. Kate Costello, Tony Calzaretta and Mary Woods are at the center of these productions and view the fall play and musical as an extension of the lessons students learn during the school day.
Public speaking, knowledge of theater, film and stagecraft are the technical courses students may take, but Kate, Tony and Mary also require the students to show respect and mutual support for others while striving for excellence.
#160;As producer and director, Kate reminds students that the goal of each performance is to have fun, provide a high quality show and to make money so this self-funded program can continue. Broad-based involvement is important, so Kate double casts each show. This doubles the work, but also provides twice as many students the opportunity.
Tony Calzaretta volunteers as assistant director, but does much more. He puts in many hours helping with sets, practicing lines with the students, coaching and encourages students to do well with his big-hearted, grandfatherly-type personality. #160;
Mary Woods has made costumes for every St. Viator performance for the past 11 years and views this volunteer work as part of who she is. She has designed, sewn and mended hundreds of costumes and her work is so appreciated, the school named the costume room after her. #160;
One student said, #8220;They have been an inspiration, a role model and a difference maker in my life. I have learned more from them about learning to enjoy musical, drama and life in general than I have form any collective group of people.#8221;
Ed Hardy
Young at Heart AwardWhen we think of someone as being #8220;young at heart#8221; the first thing that comes to mind is that special individual who is youthful no matter what age they may be. Ed Hardy exemplifies that definition in more ways than one. He had 34 years of Navy service, including three years of active-duty service on the west coast.
After retiring in 1992 from a career in management with Illinois Bell, Ed took a position as a fitness instructor at the Arlington Heights Senior Center, mainly because it was close enough to home to allow him to run or bike to work. He continued to teach his #8220;Fun n' Fitness#8221; class five days a week, stating that the class was appropriately named because #8220;it was fun for me while seniors got fit.#8221;
Always striving to better not only himself but also those he taught he dispensed health and nutritional advice based on current research and continuing education, in the process becoming an indispensable guru of health to the patrons at the Senior Center. Now officially retired for good, Ed enjoys his leisure time to no surprise working out regularly, vacationing with his wife of 53 years, Dottie, and spending time with their three children and five grandchildren.
Mary Reddin family
Heroic AwardIn 2002 an organization named Lydia Home started a program called Safe Families for Children to offer sanctuary to children suffering from neglect and abuse and giving those parents the help they need to create a thriving family unit. They needed families to provide children with a stable environment. Mary Reddin, her husband Chris and their 7-year-old daughter have taken in five children in the last two years.
The program wants to reunite children with their biological parents as soon as possible, so their typical stay in a Safe Home is six weeks to two months. Mary has had her current child, Deja, for almost 18 months now, which is unusual, and Deja has become a part of the family. Mary has regular contact with the birth mother and they can share stories of Deja's development together.
Mary and her family are truly providing a wonderful environment for these children that they would not normally have. Providing this loving atmosphere clearly demonstrates a heroic spirit and has earned Mary the Heroic Heart of Gold.
Kevin Schreiber#160;
Young Champion AwardThanks to Kevin Schreiber's interest and dedication, St. Viator High School became one of the first high schools in the Northwest suburbs to offer electrocardiogram testing to students at the school through the Lake County-based Max Schewitz Foundation's #8220;Screen for Teens#8221; program.
Kevin, a junior, was moved by articles he had read of young athletes who died of sudden cardiac death. He created a detailed plan of action that was submitted to school administrators which explained why the testing was so important. He worked closely with the Screen for Teens program and secured funding from the school's Athletic Booster Club to help underwrite the cost of the optional testing program.
Earlier this school year, 600 students were tested with only one needing follow-up medical care. The result of his outstanding interest in this potentially lifesaving program has resulted in Kevin Schreiber being named recipient of the Young Champion Heart of Gold. #160;
Craig Carlson
Volunteer AwardIf you have ever enjoyed the popular #8220;Stampede#8221; race that is a staple of the Frontier Days Festival every July Fourth holiday, your fun experience was directly attributable to the hard work of Craig Carlson and his family. Craig is race director of the Stampede and his entire family helps with the workload. Craig and his family are #8220;hands-on#8221; volunteers who selflessly dedicate many hours to ensure that over 1,000 participants in this annual event have the best possible experience.
Thanks to the hard work of the Carlsons the race has seen expanded sponsorship, an improved course, electronic chip timing, premier running shirts, a great post-race atmosphere for runners and spectators and #8212; most important #8212; a highly organized and extremely enjoyable run for the entire community.
Greg Padovani#160;
Community Spirit AwardFew people have demonstrated the passion and spirit that Greg Padovani has in elevating the recognition of veterans and of the men and women currently serving in the military. Through his leadership and vision, Arlington Heights now has a revitalized Memorial Park; a place where citizens can reflect upon and learn of the incredible efforts and sacrifices that have been made in keeping our country's freedom.
Greg was the champion of the #8220;Drive to Revive Memorial Park.#8221; He served as chair of the Drive to Revive Committee and worked closely with the Arlington Heights Park District Foundation to raise awareness of the revitalization needs of the oldest park in Arlington Heights. He also spearheaded several campaigns to raise funds to replace old monuments, add other physical attributes to the park and, as a final phase, commissioned local artist Fran Volz to create a symbolic, #8220;Eternal Flame#8221; sculpture in the center of the park to stand as a community tribute to our Veterans and military servicemen and women.
Beyond his devotion related to Memorial Park, he has researched and built a database with information for every service member from Arlington Heights who lost their life in battle, reaching back to the Civil War. Because of his commitment, future generations will always know of the ultimate sacrifices made by their neighbors who fought to protect our freedom.
Drost, Kivlahan, McMahon O'Connor
Business Leadership AwardThrough their spirit of volunteerism, their sponsorships and leadership with many community programs and activities, Drost, Kivlahan, McMahon O'Connor have contributed significantly in building a sense of community in Arlington Heights.
The members of the firm have served on the boards of Dollars for Scholars, the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, Arlington Heights Plan Commission, Arlington Heights Special Events Commission, Village Bank, Rotary Club of Arlington Heights, Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce, Journeys from PADS to Hope, Boy Scouts troops, Northwest Community Healthcare #8212; Planned Gifts Committee, and much more.
Their energetic leadership, countless hours of volunteerism and generous donations have positively affected our community. Arlington Heights is better because of their gift of volunteerism, innovation and generosity, which makes Drost, Kivlahan, McMahon O'Connor worthy of this Business Leadership honor.
Jack Musich#160;
Kenneth M. Bonder Beautification AwardJack has created a variety of artwork for decades, expressing himself in various styles and media. His work has also captured the history of the village he has lived in since 1958.
Jack and his wife moved to Arlington Heights more than over 50 years ago. After officially retiring from a commercial art studio, he has focused on subjects that are intriguing to him. He has created over 30 different paintings capturing the history of Arlington Heights and the spirit of the developing downtown. His work can be seen throughout the Village in restaurants, galleries, businesses, and the library. His work in featuring Arlington Heights started as a present he created for his wife. He utilizes the Arlington Heights Historical Museum and the Arlington Heights Memorial Library to research the stories and pictures of the past. His voracious reading and attention to detail are represented in the works that catalog our community.
Arlington Heights is fortunate to have such a talented individual who has committed his time and talents to preserving Arlington Height's story.
Russ Talbot
Pam Stocking Award
Russell Talbot, an Arlington Heights resident and formal naval officer, is receiving the Pam Stocking Heart of Gold because of his unwavering commitment, enthusiasm and leadership as a founding board member of SALUTE, Inc., which helps military service members, veterans and their families, and for his many local contributions and leadership to the Northwest Suburban Council Boy Scout movement.
Since its beginning nine years ago, Russ has been a part of managing the logistics and other facets of the popular SALUTE Run/Walk held annually during Memorial Day weekend. His background as a Commander in the Navy, having served over 20 years of combined active duty and reserve time, provided a wealth of insight to the formation of the SALUTE organization. His peers on the SALUTE Board credit him with having a significant impact on making the Foundation strong and vibrant.
As an Eagle Scout, Russ shares his enthusiasm for Scout programs by taking on a leadership role in the local Boy Scout program including serving as past Cub Master of St. James Pack 266, current Scoutmaster of St. James Troop 166, a current Committee Member of Troop 32 with First Presbyterian Church as well as numerous contributions in other Scouting positions within the North Woods District and Northwest Suburban Council.
To be such a positive influence on a group of individuals, whether through SALUTE or Scouting, is the true intention of the Pam Stocking Award #8212; named for the village's first Disability Services Coordinator who went above and beyond helping citizens with disabilities.