Make-A-Wish® Illinois Chapter

Volunteer Wins Award, Grant for Make-A-Wish

Natalie Martinez, NBC5 reporter,  Steve Solomon, Exelon's director of corporate relations, Renee Cox, grants manager at Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois, Art Chavez, Exelon employee volunteer award recipient, and Meg Amato, Exelon corporate citizenship manager.  Exelon donated $10,000 to Make-A-Wish in honor of Joliet resident and Exelon employee Art Chavez for his volunteer service with Make-A-Wish.

Exelon Corporation has recognized employee Art Chavez of Joliet, Ill., with an achievement award for his volunteer work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois. The volunteer recognition is part of the company's annual Energy for the Community Volunteer Awards and comes with a $10,000 cash grant to the organization in Chavez's honor. 

Chavez, a senior business analyst at Exelon subsidiary ComEd, helps make dreams come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions and their families as a wish granter with Make-A-Wish. 

"The staff, volunteers and wish children at Make-A-Wish are forever grateful for Art's can-do attitude to make wishes a reality for so many children," said Renee Benton, director of program services at Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois. "Art is always more than willing to lend a hand mentoring new volunteers."

Since joining the Foundation in 2006, Chavez has made 22 wishes - ranging from bedroom redecorations to Disney World retreats - a reality. He also uses his bilingual skills to expand Make-A-Wish's reach in the Latino community and to recruit additional volunteers. 

Exelon donated $10,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois in honor of Joliet resident and Exelon employee Art Chavez (left) for his volunteer service with Make-A-Wish. Chavez is shown here with wish child Marbeth and her family as she received her wish for an adaptive bicycle.

Chavez is an active member of OLE (Organization of Latinos at Exelon) and the president of E-MAC (Exelon Militaries Actively Connected). He has successfully recruited volunteers from both organizations to join Make-A-Wish or assist with projects. Chavez also holds several board positions, including the sergeant-at-arms for the Commonwealth Edison American Legion Post 118 and senior vice commandant for the local Marine Corps League.

"Each family experience is different, but it humbles me each and every time I have the honor of assisting a wish recipient," Chavez said. 

Ruth Ann Gillis, executive vice president and chief administrative and diversity officer, Exelon and president, Exelon BSC, presented Chavez the award at a luncheon held in Chicago on Friday, April 29.

Exelon introduced the Energy for the Community Volunteer Awards in 2007 to honor employees who demonstrate exceptional commitment to community service and to encourage increased volunteerism among all employees. Chavez is one of 12 employees who received volunteer awards and grant donations for the nonprofit organizations they serve. Exelon donated a total of $100,000 in cash grants to the nonprofits this year.

Exelon's Energy for the Community Volunteer Awards were open to all eligible employees from the Exelon family of companies who volunteered at least 50 hours of community service in 2010. Last year, more than 2,000 Exelon employee volunteers gave almost 66,000 hours of their time to community nonprofit organizations. This is equivalent to 1,650 workweeks or nearly 32 years of fulltime service.

The awards are part of Exelon's Energy for the Community corporate citizenship program, which encourages and supports the development of environmental causes, education, arts and culture, neighborhood development and diversity in the communities it serves.