FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Kohmstedt, Prairie Rivers Network, jkohmstedt@prairierivers.org, 217-344-2371 ext. 207
PRN AWARDS OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVANTS, RIVER STEWARD
AND VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR
CHAMPAIGN, IL – Prairie Rivers Network (PRN) will celebrate the conservation activities of several award winners from across Illinois at the PRN Annual Dinner @Home virtual event on October 23rd beginning at 7:00pm.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health and Julie Pryde, public health administrator of Champaign County will accept this year’s Outstanding Public Service award on behalf of Illinois Public Health Professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the importance of public health and those who are on the front lines protecting us from this devastating virus. Officials in Illinois recognized early the threat this virus posed and made tough decisions under incredibly difficult circumstances.
Pat Lawlor of Marengo, Illinois will receive the River Steward award for her work on the Kishwaukee River Water Trail in McHenry County in Northeastern Illinois. Lawlor established a volunteer organization called the Paddle the Kish in Marengo to work on the water trail. She has recruited, organized, and led volunteers, and she has worked with stakeholders, municipalities, and property owners to build broad support for her efforts.
Finally, Chris Main of Champaign, Toni Oplt of Edwardsville, and Dulce Ortiz of Waukegan will receive this year’s award for Volunteers of the Year for going above and beyond in the fight to stop coal ash pollution and stand up for impacted communities.
“This year’s award winners represent the very best in protecting communities and in restoring our natural spaces for all to enjoy,” PRN Executive Director Elliot Brinkman said. “Their work embodies what it means to be a steward for the environment.”
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali. A renowned thought leader, Dr. Ali is an internationally known speaker, policy maker, and the National Wildlife Federation Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization.
This virtual event is free and open to the public. Watch live at https://www.youtube.com/
At Prairie Rivers Network (PRN), we protect water, heal land, and inspire change. Using the creative power of science, law, and collective action, we protect and restore our rivers, return healthy soils and diverse wildlife to our lands, and transform how we care for the earth and for each other. PRN is the Illinois affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.
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