SPRINGFIELD, IL — Longtime community volunteer Cathy Schwartz, who in 2023 helped establish Rooted in Springfield in memory of her late daughter, is the inaugural recipient of the Good Golly Miss Molly Kindness Award given by the Mid-Illinois Communications Association (MICA).
The award was established in memory of communications professional and former MICA president Molly Hall, whose legacy of compassion, generosity and service continues to inspire others.
It honors individuals in central Illinois who demonstrate “exceptional kindness and a commitment to uplifting others within the community,” according to a recent release, and will be given out biannually starting in 2027.
Schwartz and others advocated the Springfield Park District to build a second sheet of ice at the Nelson Recreation Center and kept the project moving forward until its completion in 2002.
Schwartz has been an active leader within the King’s Daughters Organization, which supports older adults through volunteer service and charitable giving. Most recently, she took on the role of archivist for the organization.
She has led efforts to improve the playground at Washington Park and volunteers at the Iles Community Garden.
The nonprofit organization Rooted in Springfield is dedicated to bringing fresh, affordable food to Springfield’s Eastside. Its goals, values, and actions stem from the dreams of community activist and Schwartz’s daughter, Emma Shafer, who died in July 2023.
“Cathy embodies the spirit of this award,” said Blake Wood, president of MICA. “For decades, she has invested her time, energy and heart into making Springfield a better place. She leads through service, builds connections and consistently puts others first.”
Schwartz said receiving an award named for Hall makes the recognition especially meaningful.
“Through the years, I’ve always felt like this is my home,” Schwartz said. “My roots are here, and I’ve always asked myself how I can help make it a better place for everyone to live. Our family is committed to making Springfield a better place to live.
“Knowing Molly’s history and what this award represents, I’m honored to walk in her footsteps and join others who are working to make things better for everyone.”
Hall spent 14 years in radio and television news starting at WTAX-AM, then working as a reporter and anchor at WCIA-TV. She became the Statehouse Capitol Bureau Chief for WCIA and WMBD. Hall worked at Illinois Power before shifting to nonprofit work and retired in 2020 after 18 years as the executive director of the Energy Education Council, a national nonprofit she built from a small University of Illinois initiative, that served electric utilities and their customers.
Hall died in 2023.
Schwartz was nominated by longtime community volunteer Jan Droegkamp.
“Cathy is the person who always steps forward to help,” Droegkamp wrote in her nomination. “She is dependable, collaborative and enthusiastic. She is ready with a smile, a hug and nonjudgmental interactions with all.”
Community members may nominate deserving individuals throughout the year at midilcommunications.org/missmolly.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Schwartz recipient of inaugural Good Golly Miss Molly Kindness Award
Reporting by Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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By Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal-Register | USA TODAY Network
