Friday, February 5, 2010

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES DEANERY — St. Mark Catholic Church in Evanston hosted its 10th annual Keep the Dream Alive Awards ceremony marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan. 18. The theme this year was “Serve to Lift Up Our Neighbors and Our Community.”

Established by Precious Blood Brother Hugh Henderson when he arrived to serve at St. Mark 10 years ago, the award recognizes those who have enriched the communities in which they serve by working toward peace, equality and love, modeling the non-violent, loving example of Dr. King. Candidates for the award are nominated in the categories of clergymen and women, laypersons, elected officials, ecumenical figures and youth.
 
The 2010 award recipients include Bishop E. Lynn Brown, presiding bishop for the Ohio, Central Indiana and Kentucky regions of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; Father Thomas DiFolco, pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish in Lincoln Heights and St. Agnes Parish in Bond Hill; Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, who hosts the weekly public affairs show “Issues” on WLWT-TV; Cincinnati philanthropist Carl H. Lindner; Onnie Martin, executive director of the Cincinnati Minority Contractors Business Assistance Program; the Rev. Wendell Mettey, founder of Matthew 25: Ministries; Terrence Poole, a public health dentist at Winton Hills Health Center; John Smith, mayor of Silverton and a member of St. Mark Parish; Pastor Kazava “KZ” Smith, senior pastor of Corinthian Baptist Church; Kenny Smith, choir director at St. Mark; and Jessie Thomas, a member of Our Lady of Sorrows in Monroe and a clinical nurse who has worked to address the needs of aged victims of crime and abuse.
 
The Rev. Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, served as keynote speaker for the ceremony. Congressman Steve Driehaus made a surprise visit to present the honorees with a Congressional Proclamation that thanked them for impoving the lives of their neighbors and others in their community.