Palos Park’s Maureen Reilly receives the 17th District’s 2016 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroine Award for her Volunteer Efforts at Park Lawn

Palos Park’s Maureen Reilly receives the 17th District’s 2016 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroine Award for her Volunteer Efforts at Park Lawn

Palos Park’s Maureen Reilly receives the 17th District’s 2016 Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroine Award for her Volunteer Efforts at Park Lawn

Chicago, IL – The Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues held their annual breakfast on Thursday, March 3rd at the Chicago Cultural Center where they recognized women from each county board district for their “Unsung Heroine” efforts in their communities. Honorees from each county board district and one at-large are nominated for the significant contributions they have made to the well-being of their community in either a professional or volunteer capacity for which they have not received widespread recognition. 

Commissioner Morrison and 17th District Commission Member Sharon Brannigan were pleased to nominate Maureen Reilly of Palos Park for her outstanding volunteer efforts at Park Lawn. Founded in 1955, Park Lawn is a non-profit organization based in Oak Lawn with a mission to provide services that promote independence, choice and access to community living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Maureen Reilly has been involved with Park Lawn since 2006 when her son began receiving adult services from the organization. Maureen has served as the Costume Director at the Lyric Opera of Chicago for the past 16 years and an employee since 1987. She began helping at Park Lawn by providing costumes and props for the Park Lawn Player’s Club annual show, participating in tag days, and volunteering in whatever other capacity needed.

Maureen became a board member in 2009, vice president in 2014 and president in 2015. In Park Lawn’s 60 year history, Maureen is the first woman board president and she has helped to strengthen relationships with local legislators by helping to form a Political Action Committee. 

Maureen and her husband Charlie are residents of Palos Park and are proud to be a part of the Park Lawn family and share the same passion to see all people in the disabled community flourish and be as independent as they can be.

“I’m very proud to honor a person of such quality as Maureen Reilly. Her volunteer work at Park Lawn is precisely the type of effort that deserves special recognition because you can’t place a price on it. It truly is invaluable,” stated Commissioner Morrison.