Meet Arlington Heights' 2019 Hearts of Gold honorees
The village of Arlington Heights will celebrate its 2019 Hearts of Gold honorees at a dinner banquet Saturday, Feb. 16 at Rolling Green Country Club.
This year marks the 21st annual banquet - the culmination of an awards program recognizing those who live or work in the village and have made a difference in the lives of others.
Each September, the community is invited to nominate people they know for one of 11 Heart of Gold categories. If you know of someone worthy of a Heart of Gold, visit the village's website, vah.com, in September to find the online nomination form.
The public is invited to the banquet; tickets are $60 per person and available by emailing nkluz@vah.com.
Rolling Green Country Club is at 2525 E. Rand Road, Arlington Heights.
The 2019 Arlington Heights Hearts of Gold Honorees:
• Beth Drost, Mentor Heart of Gold: After raising three children and working for the Arlington Heights Senior Center and Lutheran Home, Drost had a desire to go through formal training to be a temporary foster caretaker. Driven by her commitment to serving others, Beth and George Drost became certified foster parents in 2008 and since then have fostered 48 babies.
• Dawn Dalton, Best Neighbor Heart of Gold: Since moving into town 12 years ago, Dalton has striven to bring the Arlington Heights' Summerhill neighborhood together. Upon moving in, she went door-to-door to introduce herself, which is a tradition she continues today with new neighbors. Dalton has organized numerous activities: the annual barbecue block party, monthly girls' nights out and a child-focused Easter egg hunt and pumpkin carving party. She is also active with those in need, including carpooling and checking on neighbors' houses when they are out of town.
• Jim Voyles, Educator Heart of Gold: Voyles is the Girls Athletic/Activity Director/PE Leaders' Teacher/Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Rolling Meadows High School. Throughout the years, his students have done incredible projects for the school and community, including an all-school Lip Dub, an outdoor, all-school assembly, raising money and planning activities for St. Baldrick's, and raising money and packing backpacks with the Supplies for the Homeless Backpack Project.
• Jack Muldoon, Young at Heart: Muldoon retired in 1996 from a long, successful career in the casualty and property insurance industry, but that hasn't slowed him down. He continues to devote his time to helping others. Muldoon's community work has spanned the tenure of both his working and retirement years, with service on national boards and township councils. He also gives lectures on investments for Wheeling Township, the Arlington Heights Senior Center and other local investment clubs that are smart enough to seek out his wisdom and generosity.
• Tom and Alex DeTogne, Heroic: The DeTognes rallied many volunteers so that the "Make a House a Home" project became a reality, completing a kitchen renovation for a neighbor whose husband had died before he could finish it.
• Katariena Leazer, Young Champion: At age 6, Leazer got involved with a diabetes support group after being diagnosed with the disease a year earlier. At the age of 8, she helped to inaugurate a local walk to raise funds for diabetes research. Leazer, now a senior at Buffalo Grove High School, has continued to raise funds since to the tune of more than $110,000 through numerous grass-roots efforts, ranging from door-to-door loose change collections to annual garage sales.
• Dave Flanagan, Volunteer: "Mr. Dave" has been a volunteer fixture at Westgate Elementary School for the past 11 years. He has been a part of many student activities such as Club K, physical education class (along with Coach K), the fun fair, ice cream socials, the back-to-school block party, opening day activities, and Field Day. When not volunteering, Flanagan works at both Mariano's and Clearbrook.
• Neil Scheufler, Community Spirit: Scheufler can be found everywhere around town, enthusiastically promoting a current show at Metropolis or planning or volunteering at a major Arlington Heights event. His current position is working on major gifts and planned giving for the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. Scheufler, who has lived in Arlington Heights for 33 years, describes himself as being from a family of volunteers and says, "Volunteering and giving back is in my blood."
• Dianna Ehrenfried, Business Leadership: For more than 30 years, Visualedge Creative Services has been a mainstay in the Arlington Heights business community, with Ehrenfried at the helm. One of her most cherished volunteer projects happened while working with the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, where she guided young middle school students working to win startup capital to launch businesses they created.
• Scout Troop 37, Kenneth Bonder Beautification: Scoutmasters Thom Banholzer and Mike Patterson are proud of Scout Troop 37 and that it is a "Scout-led" troop. From 2016-2018, there have been more than 10 Eagle Scout projects performed by Scout Troop 37 and several have focused on projects that have helped beautify the village. These projects include clearing the trail near Greens Park, cleaning the Lake Terramere park shoreline, installing a sculpture garden at St. Peter's School, creating a native plant garden at Buffalo Grove High School and projects at Christian Liberty Academy, St. James School and Olive-Mary Stitt School.
• Allen and Laurel Katz, Pam Stocking Heart of Gold: As parents of a son with a disability, Laurel and Allen Katz are passionate about dedicating their time and efforts to organizations helping people with disabilities. Their volunteer work underscores the fact that people with disabilities are not limited in actively participating in everyday life.