Congratulations to our
2019 Shining Stars Award Winners!
Wilmette Park District
Partner Agency of the Year
Linda Goodman
Mitchell L. Slotnick Friend of the Year
It was a heartfelt night of celebration on Friday,
May 10 when nearly 450 participants, family
members, staff, board members, supporters
and partners came together at the Hilton
Chicago/Northbrook for NSSRA’s Shining Stars
Awards & Recognition Banquet. The annual
gathering gives NSSRA an opportunity to
recognize their outstanding participants,
families, staff, advocates, partners, community
members and friends who have truly made a
difference the previous year.
“Our participants are incredible people, and
the most important reason we gather to
celebrate,” said Craig Culp, NSSRA’s Executive
Director. “It’s exciting to see so many at the
banquet, more this year than ever, supporting
and applauding the most deserving
individuals in our communities, award winners
or not.”
Nine individual awards were given to ten
recipients.
Cristina Hughes
Advocate of the Year
Weber Family
Family of the Year
14
anniversary of the passing of Dr. Mitchell
L. Slotnick, a decades-long member of the
NSSRA community who left a lasting legacy
of leadership and generosity. Slotnick was a
founding member of NSSRA Foundation in
1997, and in its 22-year history the Foundation
has raised over $1.8 million for NSSRA
programs, scholarships and vehicles. Slotnick’s
son, Jay, has been participating in NSSRA
programs for nearly 40 years.
In honor of Mitch Slotnick, Culp announced the
permanent re-naming of the annual “Friend
of the Year” award to the “Mitchell L. Slotnick
Friend of the Year” award, which this year went
to Linda Goodman. Goodman is the director
of the Nielsen Pro Tennis Championship,
held in Winnetka each July. NSSRA has been
the charitable beneficiary of the tournament
for many years, and in the last 11 years the
tournament has donated over $185,000 to
NSSRA programs and services.
Diane Curtis of Winnetka accepted NSSRA’s
Sofia & Luciano Beltrano, siblings from
Adult Participant of the Year award on behalf
Glenview and students at Glenbrook South
of her daughter, Jane McDonald, also of
High School, were each honored with NSSRA’s Winnetka. McDonald participates in Enriched
Youth Participant of the Year award. Recognized Lifestyles for Adults (ELA), NSSRA’s adult
for their engagement, growth at programs,
day program. Accepting the award, Curtis
and kindness toward others, they accepted
shared, “Our hearts are full of gratitude that
their awards with their parents at their side.
our daughter has found such a wonderful
“Thank you, NSSRA, for helping me make new place to land. I knew when she raced past
friends and all the fun field trips,” said Sofia.
me when I dropped her off at ELA that she
Her brother, Luciano, also shared, “Thank you, was comfortable and excited to go there.”
NSSRA, for teaching me how to ice skate. My
She continued, “We are very grateful to this
favorite activity is going to Six Flags Great
organization and to everyone who supports it.”
America!”
This year’s Program Staff of the Year award
The evening also marked the one-year
went to Mike LaMarca of Mundelein, a part-
Fall 2019 Program Guide • register.nssra.org