Character counts

Recognizing the People that Make Our Community Wonderful

Since 2001, the Barrington Junior’s Women’s Club has proudly supported the Character Counts! program in the Barrington Area. The goal of this program is to recognize outstanding individuals in the Barrington Community. Each year, it is our mission to highlight those who exemplify the “Six Pillars” of Character:

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, FAIRNESS, CARING, TRUSTWORTHINESS, CITIZENSHIP

These awards have been offered to people who are not often in the limelight. A unique act of kindness, a track record of dedication, a history of responsibility, equitability, thoughtfulness and/or respect may exemplify their character. Past recipients of the Character Counts! Awards have ranged from students and coaches to owners and employees of local businesses, community volunteers, and friends and neighbors.

All nominees are welcomed and considered; however, to receive an award they must reside or work in the Barrington 220 School District area and have two available references.

2024 CHARACTER COUNTS!

BJWC Co-Chairs: KRISTIN BAUMANN & NICOLE ARNOLD

Respect: Jodi Paz

Jodi currently co-leads the Pre-K classroom in the preschool and during the summer months she can be found running the aquatics program. She is also the go-to person for First Aid, CPR, and Babysitting training and certification. She is an excellent role model and promotes communication, respect, and dedication with her team. In this way, she plays a vital role in shaping tomorrow’s workforce. Congratulations to Jodi for her commitment to Barrington and for being a wonderful example of what community, care, and respect are all about!

caring: Vince Foglia

Vince Foglia has been helping charities for over 30 years. Vince was nominated for his work with Let it Be Us. Let It Be Us is an organization that helps children in foster care, especially those with special needs get paired with families rather than remain in shelters and congregate care. In 1993 Vince and his wife Pat Foglia established the Foglia Foundation. The foundation was created to support organizations in the community that could make the most profound effects with a focus on education, healthcare, and community. Vince was once quoted as saying, “This life has given me far more than I ever dreamed, and with that comes a great sense of responsibility toward others.” Congratulations to Vince on his Character Counts award.

fairness: Judy Giannone

Judy has brought her energy to the BACOA team for nearly two years as she both runs the kitchen for BACOA Monday Lunch and aids the Bingo program. Judy is the “most reliable, hardworking, pleasant, engaged, and caring volunteer.” Since Judy’s arrival, the number of participants in the Monday Lunch and Bingo programs has grown exponentially. A true testament to her awe-inspiring dedication to BACOA and its participants. Thank you to Judy for her dedication to BACOA and fulfilling the lives of older adults in our Barrington community.

citizenship: Kathy Hoffman

Kathy has made a lasting impact in our community through her work volunteering at Good Shepherd Hospital, Lake Barrington Woods, and beyond. At Good Shepherd Hospital, Kathy has logged over 500 service hours in her time there. While Kathy currently volunteers in the emergency department with the trauma coordinator, she has played many roles, including acting as a Minister of Care for patients and helping with the “Random Acts of Flowers” initiative. She also stepped in without hesitation to help as the hospital navigated Covid, including working in the covid vaccination clinic as a screener and undergoing training for the virtual “no one dies alone” program. Kathy is also a dedicated volunteer at Lake Barrington Woods for the past 8 years. Every week, Kathy is joined by her faithful service dog, Duffy, to bring joy to the seniors residing there as part of Love on a Leash. Kathy serves as a chapter leader, aiding in placing dogs in various institutions such as hospitals, schools and retirement homes. Congratulations to Kathy for all you do!

responsibility: Patrice Miller

Patrice is the coordinator of the Barrington Township Food Pantry, and has faithfully served the Barrington community by meeting food insecurity needs, and led the effort for a beautiful and functional renovation of the food pantry. Since 2021, Patrice has worked with local organizations including The Build Team and the Barrington Area Charitable Foundation to create a space that is ADA-accessible and capable of storing larger amounts of fresh foods. In this time, she has also collaborated with other nonprofits to secure donations of fresh foods, meats, and other food items, as well as writing grants and coordinating donations from local businesses Patrice’s dedication to the residents of Barrington and her collaborative spirit makes it possible for the Barrington Food Pantry to meet the nutritional needs of the residents it serves while treating them with respect, care, and dignity Congratulations to Patrice and thank you for all you do for the community!

caring: Todd Zehrer

Todd owns The Den in Barrington. A member of The Den, praised Todd as being one of the hardest working individuals she has ever met. She explained that Todd really emulates the Caring pillar of Character by consistently showing compassion and care for our community by creating a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for those seeking to prioritize their health and wellness Todd has made it his mission to make fitness accessible for each and every community member, creating classes for tweens, teens, adults and even hosting classes for toddlers and little kids. Todd also hosts events for various groups within the community, often partnering with other local small businesses and has volunteered his time throughout various organizations within Barrington. Todd always has a positive attitude and everyone who meets him would agree his positivity is infectious. He has opened a workout studio that is so much more than just a place for people to exercise, it’s a community within our community. Congratulations to Todd and thank you for all you do for Barrington!

citizenship: Fred Welstead

Our final winner was honoree Fred Welstead, who was lovingly referred to here in Barrington as Mr. Fred. He was awarded the Citizenship Pillar at last night’s Character Counts awards. Fred passed away a few short months ago, just shy of his 91st birthday. He was nominated for the award by Rachel and Dan Irons, who first met Fred when they moved to Barrington eight years ago. Fred was a permanent fixture in their daily routine since their children’s days of attending Atonement Christian Day School and now Lines Elementary. Fred had served as a crossing guard on Lake Cook Road for students at Lines Elementary School and Barrington Middle School Station Campus from 1996 right up until the beginning of winter break this past December. During his incredible tenure, Fred had a profound impact on the hundreds of students who interacted with him each day. When speaking to folks who knew Fred, one common theme quickly emerged: his dedication to his job and the students he served. No matter the weather (rain, sleet, snow, or heat), Fred never missed a day. Fred’s supervisor Karisma Townsend described him as an amazing man with a wonderful sense of humor. And she shared that the students looked forward to seeing him every day on their way to and from school We are honored to recognize all of Mr. Fred’s contributions to Barrington!

2022 CHARACTER COUNTS!

BJWC Co-Chairs, Dionne Boulos & Melinda McElroy

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2022 CHARACTER COUNTS AWARD RECIPIENTS!

JIM BARTLETT - CITIZENSHIP, STEPHANIE BRUDVIK - CITIZENSHIP, TOM BURNS - CITIZENSHIP, WILLIAM “MR. BILL” GROSS - CARING, MARY HOWARD - CITIZENSHIP, LIZ KIRCHHOFF-CITIZENSHIP, KATHY KNUTH- RESPONSIBILITY, TY LAGONI- CITIZENSHIP, DR. JULIANA PARRY - CARING, FABIOLA PENA - RESPONSIBILITY, GEORGE PEIRCE -CARING, DAWN UNGER - CARING, and BETSY WINTRINGER - CARING

2021 CHARACTER COUNTS!

BJWC co-chairs, jen hopwood & Julie Blasius

Congratulations to the 2021 Winners:

Sil Aprati - Caring
Annette Baird - Citizenship
Claudia Gerrard - Caring
Wendy Farley - Citizenship
Jo Fischer - Caring
Patricia Hogan - Responsibility
Margaret Karolyi - Citizenship
Allison Schultz - Citizenship

2020 Character Counts!

BJWC CO-CHAIRS, Jen Hopwood & Emily Kerous

Congratulations to the 2020 Winners:

Barb Lauro, Caring Pillar

Jen Magdalener, Caring Pillar

Jennifer Lucas, Responsibility Pillar

Jessica Green, Respect Pillar

Mary Sander and Sandy Hasse, Citizenship Pillar

Helen Lodowsky, Citizenship Pillar

2019 Character Counts!

BJWC CO-CHAIRs, AMBER BEEMAN & Carla Murphey

Congratulations to the 2019 winners:

Christie Shoemacher, Trustworthiness

Kent Hengels, Caring

Kate Mills, Responsibility

Susan Nightengale-Kudia, Citizenship

Carolyne Osterheus, Caring

Max Lewis, Caring

Shandra Nosal, Respect

Joan Pagliai, Caring

Sayra Stom, Caring

Sue Boberg, Caring

For testimonials shared at the Character Counts! Awards ceremony, click here!