Governor Quinn Honors Volunteers with Annual Hometown Awards

Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Win Governor's Cup

Members of JSC awarded with Governor's Hometown Award (Left to Right: Jeanne Wojcieszak, Cheryl Marteeny, Carolyn Pilla, Kelly Schlechte, Michelle Cobb, and Kathi Jackstadt)

SPRINGFIELD – Governor Pat Quinn today announced the winners of the 32nd Annual Governor’s Hometown Awards. The awards are presented to recognize volunteers across the state for their work in improving their communities and recipients were honored during a ceremony at the Illinois State Library in Springfield.

The Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon, along with Edwardsville Township, was selected as the 2014 Governor’s Cup award winner, recognizing the state’s top community volunteer effort. The Governor’s Cup is a traveling silver trophy presented to the group whose efforts are deemed most representative of the spirit of Illinois volunteerism. 

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“The Governor’s Hometown Awards honor groups who have selflessly dedicated their time and efforts to making their communities a better place to live,” Governor Quinn said. “The heart of Illinois is the heart of a volunteer, and we applaud these groups for improving the lives of others and truly making a difference in our state.”

The Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon was honored for its Boundless Playground. Nearly one in ten children in America suffer from a disability, making it difficult if not impossible to play on a traditional playground. The Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon recognized this need and built a playground all children could use. Six hundred community volunteers donated 6,500 hours of service and $63,900 worth of materials toward the project. In addition, $222,500 in private funds was raised to complete the playground.

The Governor’s Hometown Award recipients are selected by volunteer judges who review and rank applications based on a variety of factors, including local need, volunteer participation, use of resources and results achieved. The projects are judged within their population categories as well as within their assigned project categories. The project categories include services and mentorship, beautification and sustainability, parks and recreation, memorials and monuments and history and historic preservation. The judges then select one project from each population category to compete for the coveted Governor’s Cup.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) administers the Governor’s Hometown Awards Program. Each winning group receives a road sign for its community and plaque recognizing its efforts. The Governor’s Cup recipient is given the traveling trophy and a unique road sign that proclaiming its status as award winner that year.

“These awards celebrate the spirit of volunteerism in Illinois,” DCEO Director Adam Pollet said. “They show the connection between grass-roots activism and community improvement. When people unite behind a cause, they make a huge difference in the lives of their neighbors.” 

The 13 winning projects represent the work of nearly 2,500 volunteers who devoted almost 30,000 hours of their time.