Every year during the Annual Meeting, JDRF Illinois recognizes some of the volunteers that went above and beyond to help further our mission to turn Type One into Type None. Learn more about this year’s winners below.

 

2017 Erwin Lurie Award Nominee – Glen Tullman

The national JDRF Erwin Lurie Award recognizes chapter volunteers whose commitment to the volunteer/staff partnership has significantly advanced the mission and strategic priorities of JDRF.

This year, Glen Tullman was selected as a local chapter representative for this award, which is an honor in and of itself. Glen has been involved with the chapter for years and played a major role in the record-breaking success of the 2016 One Dream Gala.

Advocacy Champion – Lisa Calloway

Lisa has been active with JDRF for the last seven years, during which she has made five trips to Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of JDRF and the T1D Community.

She has been a true leader and has provided JDRF Advocacy with tremendous value and dedication over the years. She is an important part of the success the IL Advocacy Team has achieved over the years. Working alongside Ann Ford and Marcus Quaranta, Lisa has made a huge impact.

One Community Corporate Excellence – DHR International

DHR International was a new corporate partner for JDRF Illinois this past year, but the company’s engagement and impact has rivaled that of companies involved with our Chapter for decades. The company formed a Walk Team, Henry’s Heroes, that was one of the highest fundraising teams in all of JDRF Illinois in 2016. Its CEO, Geoff Hoffmann, joined the Gala fundraising committee and immediately made a significant impact. Geoff’s wife, Megan, hosted her own fundraiser that not only raised funds, but also awareness for JDRF and type 1 diabetes.

Open Hands – Williams/Gerard Productions

Pat Walsh and the team at Williams/Gerard Productions have been supporting JDRF for more than 20 years as one of the longest-standing and most generous Chapter partners. They have managed production of our One Dream Gala, Man of the Year, and Best of Illinois events as well as made contributions to One Walk videos and supported any of the other needs that come our way.

Their generosity has been evident in the millions and millions of dollars’ worth of in-kind services they have donated, and their impact has been felt in the many millions of dollars they have helped us raise through this support. Over the past two decades, they have made us look extraordinary. We are fortunate to have their professional, fun, and trusted partnership each year.

Open Hands – Indestructo Party Rental

Indestructo Rental Company and Nichole Scott have been partners to the JDRF One Walk for many years. They are recognized for their in-kind support of our chapter through the donation of tables and tents to our annual One Walk.

Nichole’s expertise in navigating the layouts and specifics of multiple site locations, coordinating timely delivery and pick up of equipment, and working closely with our One Walk staff to make certain all needs are met has helped ensure the success of the program.

Outstanding Achievement – JDRF Illinois Ride to Cure Diabetes Program

This year, the Illinois JDRF Ride to Cure team has more than doubled in size with 103 riders taking part in events all around the country. Securing a Ride champion on the Illinois Chapter Board of Directors was a team effort. Matt Carletti was identified as a board member and Rider who had an outgoing and charismatic personality. He generously agreed to serve in that role and recruit 10 Riders from the Illinois Board.

Matt was instrumental in securing the Ride to Cure program’s first corporate partner, Livongo, and a new coach, Brian Vandenberg. Brian had participated in the Ride and wanted to get employees involved in an event he felt strongly about, so he agreed to come on as an official Ride coach to rally registrations from within Livongo across the country. To date, 33 of the 103 Riders on the Illinois team are from Livongo.

Taking Us To The Top – David and Bridget Van Eekeren

The Van Eekeren family have been supporting our mission and raising funds for JDRF for a number of years through the One Walk and One Dream Gala. This past year they agreed to take on a much more visible role as the 2016 Gala Fund A Cure Family.

Bridget, David, and their entire family approached this role with enthusiasm and a willingness to make a difference in not only the Gala, but in their Walk efforts as well. Through their company, Land O’Frost, they saw an increase in donations and contributions for the One Walk in Illinois and beyond.

Most importantly, the family served as compelling spokespeople for everyone affected by T1D and helped ensure a record breaking One Dream Gala. In fact, out of the $4.9 million raised, more than $3 million was attributed to Fund A Cure donations. Their generous contribution of time, talents, and treasure was remarkable.

Trailblazer Award – Chicago Automobile Trade Association

The Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA) went above and beyond this year to help JDRF raise a tremendous amount of money through two separate events – one brand new and very unique.

The Illinois Chapter has been a beneficiary of CATA’s annual event, the First Look for Charity, for the past five years raising over $276,000. It was through First Look for Charity that JDRF was given the unique opportunity to be the beneficiary of the proceeds from a one-of-a-kind car raffle held throughout the Chicago Auto Show. This had never been done at the Chicago Auto Show and would never have been possible without the support from the entire Chicago Automobile Trade Association leadership and staff.

The amazing team at CATA made the 10-day-long car auction run smoothly, efficiently and helped JDRF sell more than 11,000 raffle tickets and generate over $55,000 for T1D research. Not only did we raise a remarkable amount of money, but JDRF was prominently featured by countless media outlets helping bring our organization and awareness of type 1 diabetes to the forefront.

Youth Ambassador – Matt Howe

Matt has been one of the chapter’s strongest, and youngest, advocates. He participated in the One Dream Gala photography project that helped bring the JDRF mission to life and raise $4.9 million. Matt also sold mystery balloons at the Gala. His family One Walk team, Howe About A Cure, raised nearly $15,000 last year.

Matt will be one of three Illinois Representatives at this year’s Children’s Congress being held July 24-26, 2017, in Washington, DC. He has also appeared on WGN Radio’s Steve Cochran Show as the Kid of the Week for a segment focusing on back to school with T1D.

Those are the 2017 JDRF Illinois Volunteer Award winners. We thank them all for their tremendous dedication and effort towards creating a world without T1D.