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2023 VOLUNTEER AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Date: 02/28/2023

Make-A-Wish Illinois celebrates the hope that our volunteers bring to children with critical illness. In gratitude for the partnership volunteers are continuing to demonstrate, we are pleased to announce our annual Make-A-Wish Volunteer Awards program. Nominees and award recipients will be recognized during National Volunteer Appreciation Week April 16-22,2023.

Nominations for the Wish Volunteer Impact, Wish Booster and Community Engagement awards will be accepted from February 28 through March 18, 2023. Questions? Contact Janet Glavin, Senior Community Engagement Manager at jglavin@illinois.wish.org.

Wish Volunteer Impact Award

Voted on by wish alumni families to recognize a volunteer or volunteer team that has created a lasting impact throughout the entire wish journey. Wish must have been granted/completed between January 1 – December 31, 2022.

Submit nomination for Wish Volunteer Impact Award
Nominations Notes: Awards nominations submitted by Wish Alumni Families

Wish Boosts Award

Celebrating volunteers who brought hope, strength, and joy to wish children through local partnerships, in-kind donations, and exceptional creativity. The wish must have been granted/completed between January 1 – December 31, 2022. 

This award will be presented in two categories: 

• Local Partnership Award – Presented to a wish granter or wish granting team that secured exceptional in-kind support or assistance to enhance a wish child’s journey. Submit nomination for Wish Boosts/Local Partnership Award.
• Exceptional Creativity Award - Presented to a wish granter or wish granting team who planned and executed a low-cost, personalized wish boost item or experience that enhanced a child's wish journey. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, car parades, scrapbooks, and holiday themed experiences. Submit nomination for Wish Boost/Exceptional Creativity Award.

Nominations Notes: Volunteers and staff may nominate a fellow volunteer(s).

Commitment to Community Awards

The awards are presented to volunteers who create connection and inclusion in their communities by building awareness and support for wishes through the creation of referrals, volunteer recruitment, community organization engagement and wish granting support.

• Individual - The individual award will be presented to an individual volunteer who has exemplified the qualities above. Submit nomination for Committment to Community/Individual Award.
• Group - The group award will be presented to a volunteer group who has exemplified the qualities above. Submit nomination for Committment to Community/Group Award.

Nominations Notes: Volunteers and staff may nominate a fellow volunteer(s).

Agile Award

This award is presented to a volunteer who has shown tenacity and selflessness in jumping into wishes requiring timely effort and attention due to the wish complexity or medical urgency.  

Nominations Notes: Staff selected. 

Volunteer Fundraiser Award

Award that highlights non-wish granting volunteers and celebrates a particular event, or the unique contribution that a volunteer brought to a fundraising campaign. Provides excellence in volunteerism in the areas of fundraising. The timeframe for these volunteer contributions will be for the time period of January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2022.

• Community Events Organizer
• Wish Ball Committee Member
• Associate Board Committee Member
• Walk Committee Member

 Nominations Notes: Staff selected. 

 

Make-A-Wish Illinois Past Award Winners

Wish Volunteer Impact Award

• 2022 Caroline Moore and Melissa Akinlawon
• 2021 Olivia Schwab

Wish Boost Award, Local Partnership

• 2022 Bobby Taylor
• 2021 Sue Heng

Wish Boost Award, Exceptional Creativity

• 2022 Rick Planos
• 2021 Corey Schieler

Commitment to Community, Individual

• 2022 Amber Nolan
• 2021 Deborah Cortez

Committment to Community, Group

• 2022 Boxless Media (Jason Baumann)
• 2021 Metro East Regional Council of Make-A-Wish Illinois

Agile Award

• 2022 Erin DeFrieze and Jen Dosch

Volunteer Fundraiser Award, Community Events

• 2022 Rob and Nancy Northrip (Ultimate Gymnastics WISH Tournament)
• 2021 John Manta (Golfing for Wishes)

Volunteer Fundraiser Award, Wish Ball Committee

• 2022 Janis Douglas
• 2021 Amie Milano

Volunteer Fundraiser Award, Associate Board

• 2022 Claire Smego
• 2021 Conor O’Brien

Volunteer Fundraiser Award, Walk for Wishes

• 2022 Kate Vittore
• 2021 Brian Vasquez