Elgin Image Awards highlight people and organizations making positive impact
Volunteers, businesses and organizations that have made a positive impact in the community were honored Tuesday during the annual Elgin Image Awards at Gail Borden Public Library.
The awards, first given in 1992, are presented by the Enhancing Elgin Committee and organized by the Elgin Development Group and the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce.
Realtor Paul Bednar was one of two winners of Professional Rockstar awards.
“These are really important because it brings out what good things are going in town,” he said. “I like to try to spread that to everybody coming into town from outside, all the great things we have.”
The 2024 winners are:
Excellence in DEI or Building Equity
• Diana Palacios, community relations manager at Oak Street Health, who the co-founded Elgin Latino Alliance for Seniors.
Creating a Difference Groups
• Finishing Well, a business owned by Suzann Jonson that provides support and guidance during the end-of-life journey.
• Elgin Community College Center for Civic Engagement, a group that fosters skills and experiences of students to be become engaged civic leaders in their communities.
Game-changer Projects
• Dementia Friendly Elgin Area, a nonprofit that provides support and resources to dementia patients and their caregivers.
• YouthBuild Elgin, a group that works with high-risk youths ages 16-24, providing education, leadership development and job training in construction.
Professional Rockstar
• Ula Borodzinska, owner of Martini Room, which has been a downtown hub for 20 years.
• Paul Bednar, a real estate agent and “outspoken ambassador” for Elgin who has spearheaded myriad neighborhood improvement efforts while serving on multiple boards, committees and volunteer projects.
Volunteer Extraordinaire
• Chris Awe, who has volunteered with The Literacy Connection since 2009.
• Scott Savel, who has spent more than a dozen years on the Elgin Heritage Commission.
• Dr. Clare Ollayos, a volunteer for nearly five decades with numerous local organizations.
• Jeanette Mihalec, a 25-year volunteer who organized the Elgin Citizenship Recognition Ceremony.