Village of Schaumburg
36th Volunteer of the Year Awards Luncheon

Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Chandler's
401 N. Roselle Road
Schaumburg, IL

Special thank you to all who joined us and volunteered in our community!

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Steve Beauchamp, Co‐Chief Executive Officer, Paylocity, served as the keynote speaker at the 2024 ceremony.

The 36th Volunteer of the Year Awards Luncheon recognized adults, young people, and organizations that, through volunteer efforts, help to make Schaumburg a better place.

Volunteerism is central to what makes Schaumburg the vibrant community that it is. Schaumburg's 20+ committees and commissions are all comprised of volunteers. Volunteers organize and operate Septemberfest. Volunteers serve as members of the Village’s Plan Commission, Zoning Board, and Bikeways Committee. Volunteers hire Schaumburg’s police officers and firefighters through the Police and Fire Commission.

The number of volunteers that serve in these positions is small in comparison to the number of people who volunteer, day after day, throughout the community including local businesses. Please take some time on behalf of volunteers and nominate an adult, a Junior High or High School age student and/or a worthy organization for recognition. We want to celebrate the good that people are doing and the fine work that volunteer organizations are involved in. Help us give them the recognition they deserve!

2024 Nominees were: 

Nominees can represent social, civic, religious, community, school, and nonprofit organizations within the Village of Schaumburg and Schaumburg Township community. Any adult, junior high or high school age youth and organization volunteering within the Village of Schaumburg and Township of Schaumburg are eligible if there is a connection to Schaumburg. People may nominate an individual from an organization and/or the organization itself!

We encourage local businesses to nominate a volunteer!

Winners are selected by a panel of judges after nominations from the residential and business communities are reviewed. All nominees will receive a certificate of merit. Each of the three winners will receive an award.

Welcoming Remarks: Village President Tom Dailly

For more information, email the Schaumburg Special Events Coordinator or call 847-923-3605.

2024 Volunteer of the Year Winners in the words of those who nominated them:   

Volunteers of the Year
Tony & Sandy Meo 
Nominated by David Brooks with the Schaumburg Park District

In the long history of community volunteer support at Spring Valley Nature Center & Heritage Farm, there have been no other volunteers that can match the tenure and contributions of Sandy and Tony Meo. They have jointly contributed well over 15,000 hours over 40+ years to support Spring Valley. Even as age has impacted their energy to participate, it has not dampened their enthusiasm. Tony continues to put in 400+ hours each year assisting with repairs and carpentry projects along with producing dozens of birdhouse kits assembled by families at Spring Valley’s annual Earth Day event. The Meos have truly been a force of nature at Spring Valley, and their impact has been immeasurable!

Organization of the Year
Schaumburg Community Garden Club 
Nominated by Sue Noller with the Schaumburg Community Garden Club

The Schaumburg Community Garden Club (SCGC) was started 35 years ago by residents of Schaumburg who shared a love of plants and gardening. Their goal was to exchange information about gardening, educate the community about gardening and the environment and to give back to their community. Through sweat, scratches, bruises, sunburn, bug bites, dehydration and aching bodies, the men and women of the SCGC have consulted on and helped maintain the Schaumburg Township Heritage Garden, the Schweikher House gardens, have a native plant sale every year to not only educate the community about native plants but also to raise funds to help foster their goals, raised thousands of pounds of fresh organic vegetables and herbs each summer to help provide food for the needy area residents through the Townships of Schaumburg and Hanover Park Food Pantries, educated the community on environmental issues, answered a myriad of questions as well as provided support both physically and mentally for gardeners. The members volunteer between 2-3,000 hours a year to benefit the residents of Schaumburg and the surrounding area.

Youth Volunteer of the Year
Ericka Serio  
Nominated by Gerritt Snyder with Robert Frost Junior High School

What is Service Above Self? It’s current seventh grade Robert Frost Junior High School student, Ericka Serio. Ericka has attended every single Interact Club meeting this school year. Ericka has also given up her own lunchtime to sell popsicles and lollipops for various charitable causes. Moreover, she has come back to school in the evening to help sell lollipops at the fifth/sixth grand band and orchestra concerts. Additionally, Ericka volunteered to shop on a Saturday at Kohl’s to buy presents and gifts for local needy families over the holidays. Furthermore, Ericka came back to school on a Friday night to help sort and box food donated at a basketball game for a local food pantry. Recently, Ericka helped a member of the Schaumburg Rotary Club A.M. sell raffle tickets at its Souper Bowl of Soups fundraiser. With helpfulness and respect for others, Ericka has twice volunteered to spend some time with the senior citizens of Encore Village. One time she played Bocce ball with the seniors and then made fruit pizzas with them. In addition, Ericka volunteered to help an Interact Club Feed My Starving Children event in the fall. In leadership and personal integrity, Ericka will be representing the Interact Club at an upcoming Schaumburg Rotary Club A.M. meeting. She will be providing a yearly review of all the Interact Club events, outings, and activities. Through a PowerPoint presentation, Ericka will treat the Rotarians to a visual representation of the Interact Club’s year. As to advancing international understanding and goodwill, Ericka was an integral part in selecting the World Hunger Initiative for this year’s major fundraiser. In furtherance, she helped make flyers, brochures, and announcements to let the school know about the fundraising initiative. Thanks in great part to her efforts, the Interact Club was able to raise over one thousand dollars. Ericka is well on her way to becoming one of the next generation’s responsible and productive citizens. Ericka Serio is Service Above Self. 

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Previous Winners

Adult / Organization / Youth

• 2024 Tony & Sandy Meo / Schaumburg Community Garden Club / Ericka Serio

• 2023 William Clark / Hindu Swaymsevak Sangh USA - Schaumburg Chapter (HSS) / Anmay Gupta

• 2022 Kathy Ray / Hoffman-Schaumburg Knights of Columbus Council 6964 / Esees Komal, Meera Pradeepan & Araha Uday

• 2021 Canceled due to COVID

• 2020 Katherine Griffis / Kenneth Young Center Youth Advisory Council (KYC--YAC) / 
  Matthew Williams

• 2019 Helen Jerusis / District 54 Education Foundation / Sarah Mathias

• 2018 Charley Shroyer / Robert Frost Junior High Interact Club / Emily Staudt

• 2017 Herb Demmel / Adult Transition Program South (ATP) / Calandra Bessemer

• 2016 Katy Garcia / Church of the Holy Spirit Food Pantry / Jocelyn Huey

• 2015 Lynn Eikenbary / Schaumburg MOMS Club / Elizabeth Einig

• 2014 Teri Dudasik / Schaumburg Professional Firefighters Benevolent Association (SPFBA) / Amanda Mytych & Sania Zaffar

• 2013 Harold Sterling / Sons and Daughters of Italy in America / Isha Jog

• 2012 Dan & Debbie Gallagher / Feed My Starving Children / Iza Gawel

• 2011 Richard A. "Bud" Napier / Assurance Caring Together (ACT) Committee / Jay Flynn

• 2010 Larry & René Netzer / Ala Carte Entertainment Volunteer Program for SLSF & the Ala Carte Entertainment - NWSRA Golf Classic / Lisa Caponigri

• 2009 Carol Hall / Clearbrook PAL Program / Payal Shukla

• 2008 Valerie M. Profit / UPS for DownS / Rachael Souza

• 2007 Sara VanDahm / American Legion Post #1983 / Ashley Darnall

• 2006 Ann Long / Motorola Asian Business Council / Matthew Bauer

• 2005 Mary Lynn McGee / Septemberfest Committee / Susan Thomas

• 2004 LaVerne Horgan / Spring Valley Concert Band / Mallory Scholpp

• 2003 Mary Nagy / VFW Post 2202 / Ashley Kehoe

• 2002 Marinell Napier / Prairie Center Arts Foundation & Friends of the Prairie Center

• 2001 Nelson McRoberts / Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association of Schaumburg (CPAAAS)

• 2000 JoAnn Owens / Rotary Club of Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates

• 1999 Kathy Ary / Schaumburg Jaycees

• 1998 Marilyn Biolchin / Schaumburg Peer Jury

• 1997 Gordon Mazursky / Spring Valley Nature Club

• 1996 Christine Starzynski / Strays Halfway House

• 1995 Geri Czech / Schaumburg Athletic Association

• 1994 Steve Isackson / WACO

• 1993 Bob Cairns / Help Our People Everywhere

• 1992 Everett Stenstrom / Community Nutrition Network

• 1991 Pete Justen / Conant High School Learning through Community Action Program (LCAP)

• 1990 Christine Fenn / Schaumburg-Hoffman Lions

• 1989 Jarnette Dill / Schaumburg Jaycees

• 1988 Ruth Park / The United Way