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Erin Merryn honored with first Wendell Jones Award

Erin Merryn, a sexual abuse survivor turned victim’s advocate, will be the first winner of the Wendell Jones Award, to be presented at 7:30 a.m. Friday at the Harper College Wojcik Center, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine.

Merryn, of Schaumburg, is one of four Northwest suburban advocates for victims of violence being honored at Friday’s breakfast.

Merryn, a surivor turned advocate, is being honored by the Alliance on Domestic Violence for her work helping to pass Erin’s Law, which requires Illinois public schools to teach sexual abuse prevention.

Illinois and seven other states have taken action to teach sexual abuse prevention in schools, and 15 more intend to do so during the next legislative cycle

Other award recipients include:

Ÿ Michael Bischof, Cynthia L. Bischof Memorial Foundation.

Ÿ Rita Canning, chairman of the board of directors of Women In Need Growing Stronger (WINGS).

Ÿ Jim Huenink, executive director, Northwest Children’s Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County.

The Wendell Jones Awards Breakfast is named for the late state senator Wendell Jones of Palatine, who founded the Northwest Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence more than 10 years ago. Jones was instrumental in securing funding for a Palatine-based domestic violence safe house for the WINGS Program and establishing the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council for the 3rd Municipal Court District in Rolling Meadows.

Tickets for the breakfast are $20. Online reservations are available at wingsprogram.com/awardsbreakfast.html or at (847) 818-2528. For information, visit www.endallabuse.org.

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