Mount Prospect Special Events Commission honors Those Who Make A Difference

Press releases

Mount Prospect IL: Ten Shining Star Awards were presented as a highlight of Mount Prospect’s 19th annual Celestial Celebration held Saturday night, February 4, 2012 at Bristol Court Banquet Hall, 828 E. Rand Road, Mount Prospect, IL. Those Selected Are Positive Influences Within Community. All were honored with Shining Star awards for their good works in ten different categories. A large crowd of over 350 residents and guests enjoyed the tropical theme “Prom Night with the Stars” as they attended the gala affair sponsored by the Village’s Special Events Commission.

Each year the Mount Prospect Special Events Commission honors individuals and organizations that help to make our community a great place in which to live and work. The Shining Star Awards are awarded on the basis of nomination by community leaders; by business people; by residents; and by men and women who work here, people interested in the community, people like you. A Shining Star is a person or organizations that has made a significant difference in the lives of others due to their commitment to a cause or to lift the burden from someone less fortunate and making Mt. Prospect a better community.

The event was coordinated by Mount Prospect Special Events Commission and Mayor Irvana K. Wilks. They worked very hard to make this event very memorable for the guests.

The event start with the social hour at 5:30 PM where the guests can unwind after a hard day’s work with appetizer and drink while enjoying the company of their friends followed by dinner at 6:30 PM and the main program at 7:30 PM.

The program began with a welcome speech by Dawn Fletcher Collins, Chairman, Special Events Commission followed by Official Greeting Irvana K. Wilks, Mayor, Village of Mount Prospect.

An invocation by Pastor RussBechtold, Chaplain, Mount Prospect Police and Fire Departments followed by Official Greeting Irvana K. Wilks, Mayor, Village of Mount Prospect

Followings are Ten Shining Star Awards winners

  • Open Arms award goes to George Elder, a member and volunteer of St. Mark Church. This award recognizes an individual or organization that has readily opened its arms and its heart to the needy, lonely or less fortunate
  • Youth Service award goes to Mike Jenson, a volunteer and coach. This award recognizes an individual who through volunteer or part time work- as opposed to a full-time professional- champions the causes of youth
  • Best Business Partner award goes to Holly Samme of CVS Caremark. This award recognizes a business that has gone out of its way to be a good corporate citizen.
  • There Ought to Be More People Like This award goes to Darcy Nichols, a manager at Centennial Apartments, located just north of Mt. Prospect Plaza on Rand Road. This award recognizes an individual or couple that is virtually indispensable in the life of a group or organization.
  • Good-Better-Best Neighborhood award goes to Jane & Frank Whitecotton. This award recognizes a resident who has gone out of his/her way to be a good neighbor.
  • The Star Spangled Banner award goes to Bill Starr, a commander with the American Legion. This award pertains to a resident who demonstrates pride in America through service, attitude and commitment. This resident may never have served in the armed forces but has assisted this country, or a veteran, in some meaningful way.
  • Champion for Youth award goes to Steve Shaffer, a Mt. Prospect Elementary School Dist. 57 physical education teacher and coach. This award recognizes an individual, organization, or program that, as part of his or her job or its professional responsibilities, enriches the lives of young people in some meaningful way.
  • Unsung Hero Award goes to Jitrenda “Jay” Patel of Subway restaurant at 1705 W. Algonquin Rd. This award recognizes a person in the community with a rather thankless, but necessary, job that is good at what he/she does and the community couldn’t get along without him/her.

Jay Patel, thanks to God, his wife Daksha, daughter Purandhri and son Sameehan, all the people who nominated him. He thanks his staff at Subway Alex, Mina and Rosario, The Subway office of Chicago land, DA Phill messi and his team, Jacqueline and her staff from library, Nancy Morgan, Director of Human services, Victoria A. Bran, In Charge of Community Center and Nina Persino, also thanks to Dawn Fletcher Collins, Chairman, Special Events and Mayor Irvana K. Wilks.

In his speech he was very emotional and shared his thoughts for his mother. He told a story about his mother when she went for the interview of US citizenship. The message from his story was, Anyone can make a difference and everyone has a part to play in making our community a better place to live regardless of how much resources you have. Another message was, “Whenever you want to do good things, do it today, do not wait for tomorrow, you never know when your eyes will be closed forever.

  • Home Town award goes to the Mt. Prospect Downtown Merchants Association. This award recognizes a group or individual who has done something special to promote the feeling of community or to further unify the diverse groups within the community and who exemplifies the village’s motto, “Where Friendliness is a Way of Life”.
  • Rising Star award goes to Nora Gawlik of Hersey High School and Mary Kate Dempsey of Prospect High School. This award recognizes a junior high or high school student who goes beyond what is expected of them.

Dancing Until Midnight
Disc Jockey, Gary Klein, Sound Q Productions did excellent job

2012 Celestial Celebration Sponsors
Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, Busse Automotive & Car Wash, Friedrichs Funeral Home, Bob & Marcie Paddock/ Daily Herald, Picket Fence Realty, Bogie’s Ale House, Busse Flowers & Gifts, Byte Me Computers, Mobile Print and Photo’s Hot Dogs

Silent Auction Sponsors:
Abbie’s Candy Bouquets, ACTSERV,P.c. CPA’S, Black Cow Kitchen & Bar, Bristol Court Banquets, Brunswick Zone, Buffalo Wild Wings, Busse’s Flowers & Gifts, Catherine Johns Salon, Coca Cola Refreshments, Coopers Hawk Restaurant, Edible Arrangements, Mobile Print, Novak & Parker, Photo’s Hot Dogs, Elements Fitness, European Jewelers, Hair Cuttery, Holiday Inn – Mount Prospect, Innate Concepts Chiropractic, Jameson’s Restaurant, Joe & Giuseppe’s Restaurant, Journal & Topics Newspaper, Millie’s Hallmark, Mt. Prospect Park District, Moretti’s – Mount Prospect, Phil Stefani, Picket Fence Realty, Pixie Sticks Hair Bow-tique, River Trails Park District, SKIL/Bosch Tools, Starbucks, TJ O’Brien’s, Tortorices Pizzeria and Wellington Restaurant

Silent Auction Table
Open from 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Proceeds support Mount Prospect’s hospitality effort for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk as it comes through
town August 11,2012

Special Thanks to:
Busse Flowers & Gifts· Bristol Court· Mike Zarnek, Photographer

Media Partners, Suresh Bodiwala, Chairman from Asian Media USA, and CLTV were present at this event. Asian Media USA had an opportunity to find out Jay Patel is perspective on Shining Star Awards, where he replied, ” Dawn Fletcher Collins, Chairman, Special Events and Mayor Irvana K. Wilks are doing an excellent job by uplifting society. It is very important to recognize people who does a good job for the society. He added quote from Gandhi’s book, Experiment of Truth “If I give my wealth, time, and energy to my community, but if I don’t have love for them in my heart, it won’t do any good to my community”. Dawn Fletcher Collins, Chairman, Special Events and Mayor Irvana K. Wilks work very hard, with lots of love and respect for the community. As a result, you see all these people are inspired and they are here in this event”.

Photographs and Press release by: Asian Media USA

Suresh Bodiwala
Chairman
Asian Media USA
Bus: (847) 679-8583
Fax: (847) 679-5336
Cell: (847)420-4789
sbodiwala@sbcglobal.net

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