Couple shares Buffalo Grove volunteer award
Buffalo Grove residents familiar with the park district, local environmental efforts and the town's Rotary Club are well aware of what Jeff and Martha Weiss mean to the community.
In recognition of their volunteer efforts, the couple this week received the Buffalo Grove Rotary Club's annual Bill Reid Community Service Award.
The award carries on the legacy of the late Bill Reid, a longtime village trustee known to many as "Mr. Buffalo Grove."
Buffalo Grove Village Manager Dane Bragg, past Rotary president, presented the award at Monday's village board meeting.
"Martha and Jeff Weiss truly embody the values of the Bill Reid Community Service Award, which represents a lifetime of commitment to make our community a better place to live," Bragg said.
Martha has been a Rotarian for 17 years, and in 2005 became the first woman to serve as the local club's president. She is a leader in the Buffalo Grove Rotary Youth Exchange Program, served 22 years as a Buffalo Grove Park District commissioner and six years as the board's president.
She's also been an active volunteer in community improvement projects, including the development of Mike Rylko Park, the Raupp Museum, the Happy Tails Dog Park and renovation of Willow Stream Pool.
Jeff's community involvement has included leading a Community Meal program for more than a decade, founding the Buffalo Grove Environmental Action Team and the Buffalo Creek Clean Water Partnership, serving as a park district commissioner and receiving stewardship awards from the Deer Grove Natural Area and Lake County Stormwater Management Commission.
As part of the award, the Buffalo Grove Rotary will make a $500 donation to the Rotary International Foundation in the Weiss' names, as well as a $500 contribution to the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.
"We love being in a community that has embraced us," Jeff Weiss said. "It's a great place to raise kids, a great place to serve, with so many wonderful people. They have inspired us and supported us every step of the way. This is just a pitch-in community, and we both love it here in Buffalo Grove."