2021 Award Recipients

2021 City of Highland Park Award Recipients Announced
Award recipients will be honored at a virtual award ceremony on April 22

April 21, 2021 – The City of Highland Park is pleased to announce the 2021 Highland Park Awards recipients. Presented annually, the awards recognize those who have made positive, sustained, and impactful contributions to the community in their respective category. The Arts Award, Community Hero Award, Humanitarian Award, and the Character Counts Pillar Awards will be presented by the City, North Shore School District 112, Highland Park High School, and the Park District of Highland Park at a virtual ceremony on Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 7:00 PM. The Zoom access information for the virtual award ceremony is as follows:

Join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82459225867

Join by phone: +1.312.626.6799.  Webinar ID: 824 5922 5867

The ceremony will remain archived at cityhpil.com/awards for viewing at individuals' convenience.

Humanitarian Award Recipient: Dolores Kohl
Dolores Kohl is recognized for her outstanding service to the Highland Park community and her generous philanthropic endeavors. From the very start of her teaching career at Oak Terrace School to the recent work of her foundation, Kohl has demonstrated a sustained commitment to the arts and education, with a particular focus on enhancing equity of access to experience-based learning for children in underserved areas, both in the United States and abroad. Through her charitable endeavors, Kohl has facilitated innovative ways to provide children with a strong educational foundation and love for the arts.

Community Hero Awards: Serving Others During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Community Hero Awards recognize those who have gone above and beyond in their service to our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 recipients are:

In addition, the City recognizes the following as Honorable Mentions:

Arts Award Recipient: Ravinia Festival, honoring Welz Kauffman, Nick Pullia, and Jim Schmitz
Ravinia Festival is honored for its decades-long commitment to our community, sustained investment in its programmatic offerings and facilities, and highly creative endeavors to remain connected to audiences during its “silent summer” in 2020. In particular, the City recognizes Ravinia for the launch of Ravinia TV, a weekly variety show which provided fans with the opportunity to hear exclusive performances, panel discussions, and more; its numerous environmentally-conscious, experiential and aesthetic infrastructure upgrades, and its ongoing community education programs, especially Reach*Teach*Play, providing valuable music instruction to over 85,000 students throughout the Chicago area. Kauffman, Pullia, and Schmitz are given special honor for their significant contributions to Ravinia’s success.

Character Counts Pillar Award Recipients:
The Character Counts Pillar Awards recognize community members who have demonstrated the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Nominations will be reviewed by the Character Counts Steering Committee, a joint endeavor of the City, the Park District of Highland Park, North Shore School District 112, and Highland Park High School.

The Character Counts Pillar Awards recognize community members who exemplify the six pillars of character in their daily lives: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship:

Questions may be directed to the City Manager’s Office at 847.926.1000.