15 Wheaton Residents Receive Good Citizen Award

Submitted by the city of Wheaton. 

From repairing tombstones to tutoring, the actions of these 15 Wheaton residents have not gone unnoticed. 

Wheaton’s Community Relations Commission honored 15 recipients of the 2014 Good Citizen Award during the May 19 City Council meeting.

In the student category, the recipients are:

• Joseph Keegan, St. Francis High School, who leads a tutoring program for Marion Park residents
• Josh Brenc, Wheaton North High School, who restored and cleaned the tombstones and headstones of 21 Civil War veterans buried in the Wheaton Cemetery for his Eagle Scout project
• Hannah Koropp, Wheaton Warrenville South High School, who founded the Apples and Carrots program, providing thousands of pounds of fresh produce to local food pantries
• James Zurawski, Wheaton Warrenville South High School, who built compost bins for Hubble Middle School
• Eddie Dreyer, Wheaton Warrenville South High School, who leads the activities supporting local organizations for more than 375 Key Club members
• Rosemary LaBelle, Wheaton Warrenville South High School, who managed a food drive that collected more than $15,000 for local food banks and served as a volunteer leader at the DuPage Convalescent Center. 

In the adult category, the recipients are:

• Scott and Lynn Rule, who run a program for District 200 special needs students that provides vocational training
• Joe Cascio, who puts extraordinary effort into his volunteer role as Cub Scout leader of Pack 382
• Lisa Keup, who devotes her time to helping refugees in Wheaton
• Mary Suess, who is dedicated to helping young people learn about government and encourages them to help elderly residents
• Sandee Schlickman, who has spent many years volunteering at the People’s Resource Center and serves as a first responder for the organization
• Mary King, who started a green club at Whittier Elementary School to educate students about the environment and turned the school’s courtyard into a garden classroom. 

In the senior category, the recipients are:

• Gayle Bloink, who helped a young family when the father was terminally ill by taking care of the family’s children and bringing meals to the family
• Carol Kincaid, who started an art outreach program at the DuPage Art League that encourages children to learn the importance of art. 

The Community Relations Commission selects recipients for these awards from nominations submitted by residents. The awards honor service to the community through volunteering or other extraordinary actions that improve the lives of others in Wheaton.