When Nina Winner’s daughters, Mara and Abigail, go to a sleepover or a birthday party, they have to take packed meals with them. They can’t eat what the other kids are eating because they have celiac—a genetic auto-immune disease—and their father has it, too. Her daughters’ and husband’s diagnoses inspired Nina to get involved […]
Heather Fineman was 35 when her late mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. A sadly familiar diagnosis: Heather’s grandmother had died of cancer at 44 and her great-grandmother at 54. Both Heather and her mother were tested for the BRCA genetic mutation, which is linked to both ovarian and breast cancer. Both tested positive. Heather’s […]
Losing a sister to a heart defect inspired Estrella Rosenberg to provide life-saving surgeries to children with heart defects in developing countries. A former jury consultant, she left the business world to start her own nonprofit, Big Love Little Hearts, which has saved more than 300 lives in the past year and a half. […]
While still in high school, this runner founded a 5K race to benefit Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook. Now in its seventh year, the race boasts over 500 runners/walkers and 100 volunteers each year, and has raised almost $100,000. Garvey ran cross-country and track in high school, so in 2005 when she had an idea to […]
A friend’s tale of tainted drinking water in Kenya spurred Larry Barnett to action. The original plan was to drill a few deep wells. His efforts are now transforming lives. Larry Barnett was not a Rotarian several years ago when a fellow church member spoke about his brother who died from typhoid in Kenya. But […]
Godrej Billimoria grew up in a small town in India. He and his wife, Avan, have lived on the North Shore since 1970. However, they continue to travel extensively, including trips to India to oversee a $2.5 million project to build a water filtration plant for Billimoria’s hometown, where people have had scarce access to […]
Kathy Gableman Founder, Smart Farm Barrington Three years ago, Barrington’s Kathy Gableman started brainstorming with some of her friends. They wanted to teach their community about sustainable gardening, promote volunteerism and supply healthy produce to the Barrington food pantry, which feeds a surprisingly large population. After consulting with her cousin who is involved with Evanston’s […]
Daniel Kielson, Winnetka Founder and President, BackYard Nature Center Master Site Steward, Skokie Lagoons The backyard of Daniel Kielson’s Winnetka home is a thriving ecosystem. Among the bushes and trees, squirrels play and birds flock to feeders. “Probably within a half hour, there’ll be seven or eight species of birds back here,” he says. With […]
“I got the job!” are the best four words in the English language to Ann Jennett, who has spent her life helping young people enter the workforce. It started several decades ago, when she worked at Evanston Township High School part-time, and then full-time, and then founded the school’s career center. She became famous with […]
Jennifer Woolford’s job as a Senior Vice President at Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., gives her great opportunities to support causes both personally and professionally. Her daughter, Aubrey, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes four years ago, and since then Jennifer has supported her in educating people about the disease. “I’m so proud that she’s really […]
