12 Honorees from Glenview, Highwood, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Northbrook and Wilmette Recognized As Outstanding Members of the NSSRA Family

 

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Media: View NSSRA’s Annual Video • 2018 Photos

Northbrook, IL – May 9, 2018 – It was a heartfelt night of celebration on Friday, April 20 when over 400 participants, family members, staff, board members, supporters and partners came together at the Hilton Chicago/Northbrook for NSSRA’s Shining Stars Awards & Recognition Banquet. The annual gathering gives NSSRA an opportunity to recognize their outstanding participants, families, staff, advocates, partners, community members and friends who have truly made a difference the previous year.

“Our participants are the reason NSSRA exists and why we are here tonight,” said Craig Culp, NSSRA’s Executive Director. “Tonight we’re here to celebrate them, to share the stories from the past year that have marked us all, and to make sure our participants know what superstars they truly are.”

Nine individual awards were given to twelve recipients.

Thomas Jachtorowycz of Glenview was honored with NSSRA’s Youth Participant of the Year award. Recognized for his significant involvement and growth over the last few years, Thomas accepted the award with his parents.

His mother, Natalie, commented to attendees, “It does not take a specific Google search to find out that when people rate how happy they are with a community one of the top citing factors is the accessibility to recreational opportunities, and that is what NSSRA does for all the participants.”

The Matsumoto family of Wilmette accepted NSSRA’s Family of the Year award.

Speaking on behalf of wife Lynne, son Dane who is a participant in NSSRA’s adult day program Enriched Lifestyles for Adults (ELA), as well as son Jason, Jerry Matsumoto remarked, “Dane has been in ELA and NSSRA programs for close to 25 years. For the last eight to nine years, he has been a participant in the ELA program, the most wonderful, nurturing, supportive place that a person can go to on a daily basis. Through ELA, we feel that he has created lifelong bonds with participants, volunteers and staff. As much as we enjoy this recognition, we would like to recognize right back NSSRA, ELA staff and volunteers.”

This year’s Advocate of the Year award went to the Glenbrook South High School Peer Mentoring program, in existence for over three decades. Accepting the award was Mary Z. Jaeger, a retired GBS teacher who founded the program back in 1986. NSSRA has partnered with the program for the last several years to provide mentors with disability awareness training.

City of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Department received NSSRA’s Partner Agency of the Year award for their support of NSSRA’s programs, providing space season after season for Kids Club, a Saturday social club for participants ages 10-15, and Gator Softball at Waveland Park each Tuesday night during softball season. Forest Park Beach is also a favorite for camps, ELA and NSSRA’s weekly Traveling Tourists program during the summer. Additionally, the CROYA program has been a welcoming environment for many teenagers with disabilities. Lake Forest has been a tremendous advocate for NSSRA and always looks for ways to accommodate new participants.

Special recognition was also given to NSSRA Superintendent Candice Cunningham in honor of her fifteen-year anniversary. Cunningham started at NSSRA as a Recreation Specialist in 2002 and has served as Superintendent since 2009. She played a key role in developing NSSRA’s ELA Program, now in its 12th year, as well as leading NSSRA’s Inclusion services team for the last eight years. NSSRA supports over 1,000 placements on average throughout the year in NSSRA’s thirteen partner communities. These are just a few of her many accomplishments. Cunningham remarked, “I am very grateful to be a part of this team and work with so many beautiful, talented and amazing people. Thank you for having me for 15 years. It has been an honor and a privilege. Today and every day, we rise by lifting others.”

In conclusion, Thomas’ mom Natalie capped her remarks saying, “There is a group of people within NSSRA that we want to single out: the recreation team, the volunteers and program staff. The list of things you do is endless. I want you to know that you are very valued. Your simple acts of kindness are gifts to each of the participants and families.”

“Today, we seem to value celebrities and billionaires as our role models, but I want you to know, all of you in the audience who do this, what you do is priceless. You give depth to purpose to people like Thomas, people like us. I want you to know that you are changing the world, one person, one family, one community at a time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Award Winners
Partner Agency of the Year: City of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Department
Friend of the Year: Glenn Binstein (Glenview)
Advocate of the Year: Glenbrook South High School Peer Mentors
Family of the Year: Matsumoto Family (Wilmette)
Volunteer of the Year: Megan Kivarkis (Northbrook)
Program Staff of the Year: Sarah Hunter (Norwood Park)
Youth Participant of the Year: Thomas Jachtorowycz (Glenview)
Gator Athlete of the Year: James Gromoshak (Highwood)
Adult Participant of the Year: Matt Rubin (Lake Bluff)

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NSSRA provides and facilitates year-round recreation programs and services for children, teens and adults with disabilities who live in the partner communities. NSSRA is an extension of ten park districts, two cities and one village in the northern suburbs of Chicago. This partnership includes the Park Districts of Deerfield, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Kenilworth, Lake Bluff, Northbrook, Northfield, Wilmette and Winnetka; the Cities of Highwood and Lake Forest; and the Village of Riverwoods. NSSRA has been creating an environment of belonging through play since 1970, and has the distinction as the first Special Recreation Association in the country. For more information about NSSRA and the programs and services they provide visit www.nssra.org.

Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association Foundation (NSSRA Foundation) was established in 1997 to support the mission of NSSRA by raising and granting supplemental funding. NSSRA Foundation raises funds throughout the year with all proceeds benefiting the Association. The Foundation, in conjunction with NSSRA, hosts annual events for all donors, supporters and families. The Foundation also raises funds through solicitation of grants and their annual Holiday Appeal. Throughout the year, NSSRA Foundation receives generous support from many individuals, corporations, foundations, businesses and community organizations. For more information about NSSRA Foundation visit www.nssrafoundation.org.