NOMINATE A CHAMPION
Organizations doing excellent work for children can be honored with the Children's Champion Award. The award is given annually by Voices for Illinois Children and National City Bank to an organization whose work contributes in an exemplary way to improving the safety, health care, education and nurturing of Illinois children.
Sixteen finalists are selected for consideration for the statewide Children's Champion award. Each finalist receives $1,000, and the Children's Champion receives a $10,000 grant.
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Cook County (CASA) of Cook County, the 2008 statewide winner, was honored at Voices for Illinois Children's Kids Count Awards Dinner on Nov. 6. In addition to its $10,000 contribution to the statewide winner, National City also donates $1,000 to each of the 16 finalist organizations. They include:
- Beacon Therapeutic and Diagnostic Treatment Center, Chicago
- The Boys & Girls Club of Lake County, Waukegan
- Camp Care-A-Lot, Springfield
- Camp Quality Illinois, Lansing
- Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Cook County, Chicago
- Crisis Nursery of Champaign, Urbana
- Franklin Neighborhood Community Association, Belleville
- GiGi's Playhouse, McHenry
- Illinois Gold Track Club, Kankakee
- Junior Achievement of East Central Illinois, Decatur
- Make Your Mark Foundation, Shorewood
- marcfirst, Normal
- Palatine Opportunity Center, Palatine
- The Park PLAYers – A Program of Rockford Area Luthern Ministries, Rockford
- Santa's Gift, Naperville
- Tazewell County Resource Centers, Tremont
