Two local charitable organizations received checks of $2,000 each during the Argonne Combined Appeal (ACA) award reception on Monday, March 21, 2016. Laboratory Director Peter Littlewood presented the donations to Don West, director of Wish Upon A Star, and Patricia Rivera, executive director and founder of Chicago Hopes for Kids.
ACA Co-Chairs Christina L. Hanks (HR) and Sheila Y. Trznadel (XSD) gave the welcome and opening remarks. Each of the organizations receiving the award was recommended by Argonne employees. The organizations receiving the donations are:
Wish Upon a Star, Joliet, recommended by Carolyn Peters (MCS)
Wish Upon a Star is a charitable organization dedicated to fulfilling the dreams and wishes of children with life threatening illnesses. During the first ten years of their organization, they donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Ronald McDonald house. In 1990, the board of directors determined there was a need to provide a means for “local dreams” to become a reality and decided to focus on granting wishes on an individual and local basis.
Chicago Hopes for Kids, Chicago, recommended by Katrin Heitmann (HEP)
Chicago HOPES for Kids provides educational support for children living in homeless shelters. Their mission to provide students with the resources and encouragement needed to succeed academically, despite the challenges of homelessness.
The success of the ACA campaign each year would not be possible without the countless hours of volunteer work by ACA Co-Chairs Christina Hanks and Sheila Trznadel. The duo leads the ACA Steering Committee, composed of volunteers from the laboratory’s programmatic and operational divisions. They are responsible for managing the annual campaign, evaluating, selecting and approving agencies to participate and dispersing funds donated. Through ACA’s yearly campaign, employees have donated more than $3.5 million dollars since 2004.