The Governor's Hometown Award ceremony set for April 20

The 2021 Governor's Hometown Awards, presented by Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, will be available to view on YouTube at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 20.

The ceremony will feature an introduction of the top awardee by Gov. JB Pritzker and formally recognize those who contributed to projects that improved their community's quality of life.

Sponsorship is provided by local units of government that had strong volunteer support, met a need, and made a definitive impact, thereby generating a positive outcome in the community and by extension, the state.

Noelle Ayoka Mota Samuels, (referred to as Ayoka), executive director of the Serve Illinois Commission, is looking forward to celebrating the tremendous efforts and success of all volunteers.

"The awards are an important event for Serve Illinois and a time to honor the dedication and hard work of all volunteers who gave time and resources to better Illinois," she added. "This year has been especially challenging for everyone because of COVID-19, and volunteerism and service has never been so important. We look forward to celebrating those individuals and groups that prioritized helping others in an already challenging time."

Awards will be given in six project categories in four population divisions, for a total of 24 awards possible. One outstanding project from each population division will be nominated for the Governor's Cup known as Cup Finalists, with the Governor's Cup Winner selected from the four finalists.

This year, the four finalists include: The Hope Center of Albion, Barrington Dreamway project, Village of Flossmoor, and the Young Leaders in Action of Decatur.

Additional information can be found on the Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service website at www.serve.Illinois.gov.