For the first time in 32 years, Judson University will not hold its annual Community Prayer Breakfast in an effort to protect the health of the community as the nation faces the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the breakfast, which was scheduled for May 4, will not be held, Judson University will continue with its awards program to recognize community volunteers by awarding its D. Ray Wilson Community Volunteer award and the Bea Wilson Youth Award. The nomination deadline for these awards have been extended until April 20. The recognition recipients will be announced at a future Judson University event in the fall.
Both awards recognize candidates who have contributed to the greater good in the Fox Valley community by voluntarily serving others’ physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual needs.
The D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award recognizes a community member who has contributed to the greater good within the greater Elgin community by voluntarily serving others’ physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual needs. D. Ray Wilson (1926 – 2003) was instrumental in establishing a prayer breakfast for the Fox Valley through a partnership with Judson University in 1989. Since Wilson was well known in the community for his tireless hours of volunteering, the D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award was begun in his honor after his death in 2003.
The Bea Wilson Youth Volunteer Service Award recognizes freshmen through juniors in high school in the Fox Valley for voluntarily performing community work that serves others’ physically, emotionally, intellectually or spiritually. The Bea Wilson Youth Volunteer Service Award winner will also receive a $3,000 scholarship annually to attend Judson University.
The awards were named in honor of D. Ray Wilson, a former Judson trustee and publisher of the Courier News, and his wife, Bea Wilson, who was a community champion of hope, service and hospitality.
Fun fact: D. Ray and Bea Wilson’s grandson is Judson Alumnus Nick Salzmann, Assistant Vice President of Campus Operations, Title IX Coordinator, and Clery Act Coordinator.
All nominations must be submitted by the revised deadline of Monday, April 20. Nominations for the awards can be submitted at these links:
D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award – JudsonU.edu/communityaward
Bea Wilson Youth Volunteer Service Award- JudsonU.edu/youthaward
Any questions about the award nominations can be sent to [email protected].