Judson announces nominees for volunteer service awards
Judson University has announced nominees for volunteer service awards to be presented Wednesday at its annual Community Prayer Breakfast.
The D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award honors someone who has contributed to the greater good within the Fox Valley area by voluntarily serving others' physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual needs. The Bea Wilson Youth Volunteer Service Award and scholarship, created last year, recognizes Fox Valley high school freshmen through juniors for community service.
Nominees for the D. Ray Wilson award are:
• Julie Bolster of St. Charles - cares for critically ill animals and helps with educational and outreach programs at Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin.
• William Briska of Elgin - served more than 15 years in leadership roles with the Elgin Area Historical Society, Gifford Park Association, the City of Elgin's Heritage Commission and Strategic Plan Advisory Commission.
• Carole and Don Burris of Elgin - served with Elgin Area School District U-46 high school outreach programs, the Kane County State Attorney's Office Pre-Trial Diversion Second Chance Board, Elgin Community Crisis Center, parent-teacher organization boards for U-46 schools and at Children's Theatre of Elgin/Fox Valley Youth Theatre.
• Nancy Haggard of Elgin - served 21 years as volunteer coordinator for Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin. She also served at Taylor YMCA, Highland and Creekside elementary schools, Elgin Community Crisis Center and her church.
• Jim Harding of Streamwood - volunteered for Streamwood Little League, Crossroads Kids Club, Willow Creek Care Center, Elevate Junior High Ministry, and World Vision. He joined Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in 2016 as coordinator of the Heroes Program.
• Susan Jacobs of Streamwood - a retired nurse who has volunteered nine years at Habitat for Humanity's ReStore in Elgin and served as a nurse on foreign mission trips, including doing storm cleanup, providing clean drinking water and vaccinations for children.
• Vivian Maly of Elgin - volunteered for the Boy Scouts of America, Kaneland Unit District 302 and Right to Life of Kane County. In 1996, she helped launch the TLC Pregnancy Services in Elgin serving as volunteer executive director and raising funds to purchase a building.
• David Sam of Streamwood - Elgin Community College president, volunteer on boards for the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Elgin, Greater Elgin Area YMCA and Amita Presence St. Joseph Hospital, and founding member of the Alignment Collaborative for Education.
• Rohan Shah of West Chicago - Bartlett High School senior who created U-46's first student-led, STEM-focused mentoring program, Mentors For Tomorrow, operating at three schools, providing activities, tutoring and mentoring for students in the SAFE after-school program.
The Bea Wilson Youth Volunteer Service Award winner will receive a $3,000 scholarship annually to attend Judson University. The nominee is:
• Kylee Siers of Elgin - junior honor student at Westminster Christian and student ambassador at Westminster and Westminster Presbyterian Church. Volunteers at Illinois Park School, an at-risk Elgin preschool, and at Vineyard Church serving homeless clients.
Judson's Community Prayer Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. featuring keynote speaker Lawrence Drake, a Judson trustee and global business leader. It will be hosted at the Love Family Christian Foundation, 310 E. Chicago St., Elgin.
Tickets are $30 per person and $500 for nonprofit/individual table sponsorships. To purchase, visit judsonu.edu/prayerbreakfast/.