Silver Cross Corporate Citizen Award

The Silver Cross Corporate Citizen award recognizes a business or organization for having a positive influence in our community. A crystal award is presented at the annual Silver Cross Charity Golf & Pickleball Classic to a business that has demonstrated meaningful leadership through corporate social responsibility programs, philanthropy and volunteerism.  The recipient exemplifies the values of caring service to others that are the bedrock of the Silver Cross Hospital tradition.

2024 Recipient – PDM Plumbing, Heating & Cooling

PDM Plumbing, Heating and Cooling has been serving the southwest suburbs since 1885; an entire decade before Silver Cross opened the doors to the original Joliet hospital. They have been a trusted partner and loyal benefactor since day one supporting nearly every capital campaign including the replacement hospital. Whether it is routine maintenance to keep the hospital running or installing new plumbing, heating, and air condition equipment as Silver Cross continues to grow and advance, PDM’s team has become an extension of our Silver Cross Family.  PDM’s President, Rudy Mahalik, served as Chair of the Silver Cross annual Charity Golf & Pickleball Classic leading the effort to raise millions over three decades and is a regular attendee at the Childerguild Ball. Additionally, the PDM team has been an ardent supporter of many community agencies over the years, including The Greater Joliet Area YMCA, Easter Seals, Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry, The Rialto Theater, Rotary Club of Joliet, Catholic Charities, United Way and Channahon Three Rivers Festival. PDM has been equally committed to providing quality education to local grade schools, high schools, Joliet Junior College and Lewis University.

2023 Recipient – D’Arcy Motors

For more than 30 years D’Arcy Motors has supported hundreds of local organizations in Joliet and the surrounding communities including youth sports, academics, churches and assisting with the elderly. For example, D’Arcy donated two GMC vans to the Forest Park Community Center to safely transport kids to after-school programs.  D’Arcy also partnered with Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow to present the Spanish Community Center and Big Brothers Big Sisters with new vans to transport homeless families to and from shelter services and senior citizens who need medication and food pantry services.  For many years, D’Arcy Buick-GMC has served as the main sponsor of the Taste of Joliet which drew record-breaking crowds in 2023. It is quite is rare to drive through town or attend a community event without seeing the D’Arcy name in appreciation for their investment in the community or their staff out volunteering their time for a good cause.  D’Arcy Motors has been an ardent supporter of the Silver Cross Foundation supporting numerous fundraising events including the Silver Cross Charity Golf Classic as the Car Hole in One Sponsor for many years. In addition, owner Terry D’Arcy has served on the Board of Trustees for Silver Cross Hospital since 2018 and his wife, Sue, helped raise more than $100,000 to support Silver Cross’ lung program at the 2023 Silver Social fundraiser.  Furthermore, the couple was one of the first to step up and invest in the new structural heart surgical program and Will County’s first and only neonatal intensive care unit at Silver Cross Hospital.  

2022 Recipient – First Midwest Bank, a division of Old National Bank

Being a good corporate citizen has been a part of First Midwest Bank’s DNA since the founding of the original bank – Union National Bank and Trust Company of Joliet in 1940 by C.D. Oberwotmann, Andrew Barber and Frank Turk – three loyal Silver Cross patrons. Since then, First Midwest has grown and evolved significantly, but their mission remains unchanged: helping their clients achieve financial success in the communities in which their staff live and work. In recent years, Mike Scudder, First Midwest’s Chairman and CEO, and Jim Roolf, SVP and Corporate Relations Officer, have given unselfishly of their time to serve on the Silver Cross Board of Trustees. Jim also led the capital campaign to raise $9 million to build the replacement hospital. Since 1989, First Midwest provided more than $200,000 in charitable contributions and sponsorships to the Silver Cross Foundation.  Besides supporting Silver Cross, First Midwest’s Charitable Foundation has provided more than $750,000 to local United Way COVID-19 emergency response funds, awarded $500,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations, and provided $250,000 in grants to 80+ organizations by matching their employees’ charitable gifts over the past two years.   

2021 Recipient – Block Electric Company

Block Electric Company, a family owned business established in 1920 with offices in Shorewood and Chicago, has a longstanding tradition of giving back.  Since 1991, the Block Family Foundation has contributed over $2.5 million to many charitable organizations including the Silver Cross Foundation. Their commitment to ensuring quality healthcare is available in our community dates back more than 30 years.  The Company has pledged their support to every Silver Cross capital campaign – from expanding our emergency department and inpatient services to building the replacement hospital to our current Campaign for Heart Care to help fund our new structural heart surgery program. Not only are they a loyal corporate partner, but they literally help keep the lights on at Silver Cross Hospital.  To top it off, Block Electric has participated in every Silver Cross Charity Golf Classic to date.  In addition to supporting our hospital and many others, Block Electric has provided over $250,000 in college scholarships to their employees’ children; and has participated in the American Cancer Society’s Walk and Roll event in Chicago for the past 10 years raising more than $84,000 in donations.

For more information or to nominate a business for next year’s award, contact Kelly Baltas at (815) 300-7105.