ECKER CENTER
        for MENTAL HEALTH

Ecker Center for Mental Health held its Annual Awards and Recognition Breakfast, featuring Attorney Jim Ryan, Distinguished Fellow at Benedictine University and previous Illinois Attorney General, as guest of honor and featured speaker.  The Honorable Timothy Q. Sheldon, presiding judge of the Kane County Treatment Alternative Court, who was also last year's Stigma Buster award recipient, was in attendance to support the event, which was held at the Elgin Country Club on May 1, 2009.

2009 AWARD WINNERS

Maurine Withers Award
Dennis Hewitt, PADS

Dene Ecker Award
Phil Asplund, former multi-term board member

Stigma Buster Award
Attorney Jim Ryan

Distinguished Client Service Award

Staff Award:
Caroline Bailey

Community Award:
Larkin Avenue Jewel Osco Pharmacy
Sima Jain, MD - Dundee Dermatology
Dario Palacios - Building Owner
Elaine Lofton - IL Dept. of Healthcare & Family Services
Michael Swensek - IL Dept of Healthcare & Family Services

Fundraising's Honored Friends

Donor Award
EFS Foundation
Provena St. Joseph Hospital
Schleifring Medical Systems

Volunteer of the Year Award
Laurie Bitter

Corporate Individuals Award
William Brown
 Joann Reynolds

Community Individuals Award
Linda Fagan
Terry Morris
Cheryl & Charles Hogrewe

Organization Award
The Anvil Club - Chuck Kolner
The Chicago Marriott Northwest Hotel - Jennifer Fowler
Coral Lane Productions - Matt Watkins
Direct Impact Designs - Jerry Sorenson
Kadlec Electric - Elroy Kadlec
Linden Group Health Services - Gary Kosnoff
Town & Country Gardens - Anton Engelmann

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Award Descriptions

Maurine Withers Award
            Outstanding contributions in the field of mental health.

            Maurine Withers was a founder of the Ecker Center.

Dene Ecker Award
            Outstanding contribution to the agency by a member of the community.

            J. Aldene (Dene) Ecker was the first director of the Fox Valley Mental Health Center, later
            named Ecker Center for Mental Health in honor of him in 1983.

Stigma Buster Award
            Dedication to eliminating the stigma associated with mental illness.

Distinguished Client Service
            Staff Award: Distinguished client service by an agency staff member.

            Community Award: Distinguished client service by a community individual or company.

Fundraising's Honored Friends
             Donor Award - Financial pillars of the agency.

             Volunteer of the Year Award - Highest number of hours contributed to agency fundraising by a community volunteer.

             Community Individual Award - Volunteers creating projects that make a difference.

              Corporate Individual Award - Continuous financial and special service donor.

              Honored Friends - In recognition of extraordinary dedication and support of mental health and the agency.