The late Riverside resident and businessman Bill Jansky was active in the Riverside Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club and the community in general. He believed people should be recognized for their efforts, so he established the Bill Jansky Citizen Award.
Recipients of the award are determined by a committee of Lions Club members who review nominations sent to the club.
This year there were a number of nominations, but the name that rose to the top of the list was Judy Mantel, who leads PeopleCare, a long-established nonprofit serving the homebound elderly, particularly their caregivers, often serving as relief for those people.
Volunteers generously give their time to transport people to appointments and provide meals. Mantel has been one of those tireless volunteers for years and now leads the program.
Mantel will be recognized at a dinner hosted by the Lions Club at a venue yet to be determined. Reservations may be made by contacting Lion’s Club member Alex Gallegos at 708-205-7428. The date of the dinner is May 9 and the price of the tickets is $25.
Judy Mantel’s name will be added to the plaque bearing all of jansky Award winners, which hangs in the lobby of the Riverside Township Hall outside of the township offices. There is also a plaque with the names of all the previous Lions Club presidents.
The Riverside Person of the Year award winner will be announced at a village board meeting in May. This award is also given annually by the Lions Club. All nominations are private and kept on file to be included in subsequent years. Nominations may be sent at any time of the year.
Finally, from the Lions Club, this Sunday is the annual Lions Club Chicken Dinner. Once again it will be a drive-thru pickup at the Riverside Presbyterian Church. Hours are from noon to 5 p.m. More details can be found in Big Week on Page 4.
The club is hoping that next year they may return to its original sit-down format at the township hall.
Yes, I’m still at Cantata working on my physical therapy so I can get back to my room at The Woodlands for a while and then home — that’s the plan. I wonder who will bring my oatmeal when I get home?
Good support here and thanks for that.
