Three Morgan County residents are among 25 people statewide honored in this year’s Governor’s Volunteer Service Award.
Kellon Oldenettel and Abby Hilsabeck of Jacksonville were both nominated. Oldenettel won for his Kellon’s Sock Drawer project in the Youth division, while HIlsabeck won in the Americorps category for her service to Big Brothers Big Sisters Illinois.
At age 7, Oldenettel is the youngest youth volunteer in the history of the awards. Since age 5, he’s collected over 5,700 pairs of socks and distributed them to various locations around the Jacksonville community.
Hilsabeck, a 2008 Jacksonville High School graduate, says she has been the lead for fundraising, recruiting volunteers, and enrolling youth to the program since in the six months she’s been with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Stephen Lakin won in the Senior category for his work with the Murrayville Woodson Emergency Ambulance Service. He helped establish the service in 1984 with Bill Lipp, the pastor of Murrayville United Methodist Church at the time. He served as a responder and president of the EAS for over 30 years.
The trio will be honored during an award ceremony at the Old State Capitol in Springfield today at 1 p.m.