ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV

Nomination Guidelines

ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV is seeking nominations for the D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award, which is presented annually to the candidate who has contributed to the greater good within the greater Elgin community by voluntarily serving others’ physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual needs. This year marks the 23rd Anniversary of the establishment of the D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award.

Who Was D. Ray Wilson?

Seeing a need for a prayer breakfast in the Fox Valley area, D. Ray Wilson (1926 – 2003) established one at ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV in 1989. Since Wilson was well known in the community for his tireless hours of volunteering, the D. Ray Wilson Service Award was begun in his honor after his death in 2003.  He spent much of his professional life in some area of journalism, serving as editor and publisher of The Courier News for 21 years.

“When my grandfather died in 2003, I spent some time helping clean out his office. He had accumulated a lot of plaques and awards for contributing to causes, many of which I had never even heard about. At one point we had to clean out his desk. In the top drawer, there were the usual things you would expect to find in an office but there was also a short hastily scrawled note on a scrap of paper that said, ‘You are not the hand that holds the chisel. You are not the stone onto which the chisel carves. You are the chisel.’ I believe this phrase sums up my grandfather’s attitude toward volunteerism and charitable work.” — Nick Salzmann, ’08 Judson Alumnus

CANDIDATE CRITERIA

A candidate for the D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award must:

1. Be an individual, not an organization
2. Live and volunteer within the greater Elgin community (Elgin, West Dundee, East Dundee, Carpentersville, Sleepy Hollow, South Elgin, Schaumburg, St. Charles, Bartlett, Hoffman Estates, Barrington, Wayne, Streamwood, Hanover Park, Plato Center, Gilberts)
3. Be nominated by a co-worker, relative, or friend through the nomination form
4. Be able to attend ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV’s Community Prayer Breakfast on Friday, May 15, 2026, from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.
5. Not be a past award recipient (see list to left, or at the bottom of the page on mobile). Previous nominees may be re-nominated; however, a current 2025 nomination must be submitted for consideration.

Submission Guidelines

1. Please submit your nomination using the form below or a print form received in the mail.
2. Electronic submission of the nomination is highly encouraged.
3. To submit your nomination via mail, mail to: ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV, ATTN: Kristen Egan, 1151 N. State St., Elgin, IL 60123

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Nomination Form

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