Hearts of Gold: Arlington Heights honors those who make a difference in lives of others

People who live and work in Arlington Heights and have made a difference in the lives of others or have significantly contributed to the community will be honored at the 22nd Hearts of Gold Awards banquet at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 at Rolling Green Country Club, 2525 E. Rand Road, Arlington Heights.

Details on the event, as well as an invitation and registration form, are available at vah.com. Tickets are $60, and the evening includes a cash bar, dinner and the awards ceremony. The reservation deadline is Feb. 7. For details, call (847) 401-0462.

The Hearts of Gold, organized by the Special Events Commission, honors educators, neighbors, business leaders, volunteers, students, senior citizens and others who have been nominated by a group or individual for the 11 awards given annually. This year's recipients are:

Jordan Friedman, Mentor

Many communities rely on the invaluable work of nonprofit organizations to help enhance the lives of their residents and businesses. Jordan Friedman is the Executive Director of HandsOn Suburban Chicago, a nonprofit organization that finds hundreds of volunteers of all ages and connects them with diverse volunteer opportunities from mentoring, tutoring, house painting and more. This group of 800 volunteers has been serving Arlington Heights and the surrounding area for 50 years. Friedman uses his 25-plus years of experience to help 150 nonprofits do an even better job for their constituents. In many ways, he is a mentor of mentors.

Paul Bowen, Best Neighbor

Paul Bowen is described by those who live near him as kind, good-natured, the "go-to guy" for all answers, and someone who positively impacts them. He can just as easily be seen walking his dog, Daisy, as helping a child adjust a bike helmet, or helping a neighbor with a leaky faucet. His genuine interest in others and willingness to lend a hand at a moment's notice is what makes Bowen the 'best' neighbor.

Nicki Koch, Educator

Nicki Koch has been a teacher in the Early Childhood Program for Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 for 22 years. She is described by her co-workers as being inspirational. She has mentored young teachers and shares the Team Leader role for the department. She is always available to help when needed, and willing to share her knowledge, ideas, and materials with her fellow teachers.

Judith Wampach Amberg, Young at Heart

St. Viator High School has been an Arlington Heights institution for five decades. For many of those years, Judith Amberg has been among the school's most recognizable representatives. Having served as a religion teacher and assistant principal at Sacred Heart of Mary for 14 years when the two schools merged in the late 1980s, Amberg served on the transition team. At St. Viator, she served as chair of the Religion Department, worked in the Campus Ministry office and ultimately was named Director of Alumni Relations. In her retirement Amberg volunteers countless hours on behalf of the alumni of both schools and is now recognized as Director of Alumni Relations Emeritus.

Michael Graves and Scott Bellanger, Heroic

Twenty-year employees of Arlington Heights Public Works Traffic Department, Michael Graves and Scott Bellanger have been involved in many precarious situations. None would compare to the tragic evening on Bangs Lake in Wauconda on April 19, 2019, when they helped save a drowning 11-year-old boy and assisted with an ongoing rescue mission.

Erin Johlie, Young Champion

Erin Johlie, a senior at Hersey High School, is a member of the Orchesis Dance Team, the Hersey Student Council and is a teacher aide for a special education class. She is a leader and enjoys supporting others and creating friendship opportunities through programs such as Super Buddies, being a student leader for a St. James youth group, and as one of the coordinators of the Service Over Self (SOS) club that has over 350 members.

James Perkins, Volunteer

An Arlington Heights resident since 1993, giving to others has been a lifelong endeavor for James Perkins. Beginning in 2001 when he was appointed to the first of his two terms on the board of the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization, with a stint as a youth mentor at OMNI Youth Services in between, Jim has always lent a helping hand to those who were less fortunate.

Pat Sturgeon, Community Spirit

Since the early 1970s Pat Sturgeon has been a fixture within the Arlington Heights community, selflessly giving her time and talents to those who are lucky enough to interact with her. She started student teaching at Olive-Mary Stitt Elementary in the early 1970s and quickly moved to Arlington Heights in 1975 with her husband to raise their three children. Forty-five years later, they still call Arlington Heights home. Sturgeon continues to support the school community as an educator at Patton School in District 25.

Joe Keefe, Business Leader

Keefe has been an active fixture in the Arlington Heights Community for five years since becoming Executive Artistic Director at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. Joe can be found everywhere around town, enthusiastically promoting a current show at Metropolis, volunteering at a major Arlington Heights event, serving on the Executive Board for the Arlington Heights Chamber and Downtown Business Association, and helping donate nearly 1,000 tickets per year to support nonprofit fundraisers.

Danzella Graham, Kenneth M. Bonder Beautification

The HandsOn Suburban Chicago organization provides exterior painting, light outdoor home repairs, and yard cleanup services to low-income seniors, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. Every September, they host a Community Paint-a-thon in Arlington Heights. Danzella (Donnie) Graham has been the Community Paint-a-thon coordinator for the past three years and is responsible for recruiting more than 900 volunteers from schools, businesses, faith-based social services and civic organizations.

Christine Weber and Elaine Sianis, Pam Stocking Award

Christine Weber and Elaine Sianis, both licensed physical therapists and co-founders of Arlington Pediatric Therapy Management Services, have been chosen for the Pam Stocking Heart of Gold award because of their nearly 40 years of outstanding support for children living with disabilities. They saw a need and worked together to create Arlington Pediatric Therapy Management Services to help children with disabilities reach their potential.