ROCKFORD, IL — The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, in partnership with the Rockford Register Star and the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence, is proud to announce the finalists for the 2025 Excalibur and Excelsior Awards.
Since 1971, the Excalibur award has honored individuals who exemplify excellence in community service. In 1979, the Excelsior award was introduced to recognize organizations demonstrating that same spirit of service.
Together, these prestigious honors celebrate those who dedicate their time, talent, and leadership to strengthening the people and places of northern Illinois.
Finalists for this year’s Excalibur award are Dr. Cyrus Oates, Karen Tilly and Penny Wirtjes.
Finalists for this year’s Excelsior award are Rockford Promise, The Superhero Center for Autism and VetsRoll, Inc.
The awards ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 11 at Prairie Street Brewing Company in Rockford. The event is free to the community, but registration is required. Register by visiting excaliburexcelsior.com/event.
“The Excalibur and Excelsior Awards remind us that Northern Illinois thrives because of people and organizations who choose to serve,” said James Patterson, President of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. “These finalists embody the values of leadership, compassion, and civic responsibility that strengthen our communities every day.”
In addition to the Excalibur and Excelsior awards, four Community Champions representing Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago Counties also will be recognized for their outstanding local impact. These honorees will be notified in advance of their selection and formally celebrated during the event.
This year’s ceremony is made possible through the generous support of Schmeling Construction, the Pinnacle Sponsor for the 2025 Excalibur and Excelsior Awards.
Here’s more about this year’s finalists
Dr. Cyrus Oates
For more than four decades, Oates has transformed dental health, equity, and opportunity in Rockford through compassion, innovation, and service. Beginning in 1981 with a single-room practice during an economic downturn, he built Oates Dental into a thriving community institution while remaining focused on those most in need. In 2005, he launched a mobile dental program that now serves 12,000 Rockford Public Schools students annually, and in 2024, he founded 205 DDS—a 6,000-square-foot nonprofit clinic ensuring every child has a dental home. His outreach extends to jails, veterans, and families through initiatives like the Illinois Mission of Mercy.
Beyond dentistry, Oates has empowered hundreds of minority students through the Rockford Association for Minority Management, guided civic progress as an airport commissioner and health council member, and championed inclusion through organizations such as Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Masterbuilders Masonic Lodge #33. At 72, he continues to embody servant leadership—building systems of care, mentoring future leaders, and uplifting communities with dignity and equity. His life’s work, culminating in the opening of 205 DDS, stands as a legacy of access, hope, and enduring impact for generations to come.
Karen Tilly
Karen Tilly has spent 48 years strengthening the Rockford community — as a nurse serving everyone from elders at Alma Nelson to kids at Magic Waters and late-shift workers at Chrysler and Green Giant; as Rockford MELD’s longtime director of development and public relations (1992–2016), where she championed young families, produced record-setting fundraisers, and drew high-profile guests; and as a 37-year Rock Valley College instructor guiding new nurses.
Widely recognized by civic leaders, she’s a 20-plus-year ambassador for the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, an active member of the Rockford Network of Professional Women, and a driving force in Alpine Kiwanis—especially Brat Days—while continuing to support MELD’s July 4th run. Colleagues and officials consistently praise her tireless energy, hands-on leadership, and decades of steadfast service to women, youth, and families, and community members speak of her with affection and trust. Beyond her public roles, she’s a devoted mother and grandmother whose generosity and presence embody her belief that giving back is simply a way of life.
Penny Wirtjes
When Wirtjes’ grandson Landon was born in 2009 with Down syndrome, she and her husband Hal quickly realized the lack of local resources and became determined to change that. After visiting GiGi’s Playhouse in Hoffman Estates, Penny resolved to create a similar support center in Rockford. Drawing on her background in health care and her natural drive as a “builder,” she generated community interest, built a strong network of supporters, raised necessary funds, and oversaw the creation of GiGi’s Playhouse Rockford, which opened in January 2011 as the seventh in the nation.
Wirtjes’ leadership established a model of excellence, expanding programs like GiGi U, one of the largest and most successful career development programs in the country. Beyond the Playhouse, she founded the Stateline Down Syndrome Foundation in 2015 to ensure long-term sustainability for such initiatives. Over 15 years, Wirtjes’ tireless work, volunteerism, and unwavering commitment have built not just programs and spaces, but a lasting legacy of hope, inclusion, and opportunity for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.
Rockford Promise
Founded in 2006, Rockford Promise is a location-based scholarship program that transforms lives and drives economic growth by providing full-tuition scholarships for Rockford Public Schools and partner-school graduates to attend Rock Valley College, Northern Illinois University, Rockford University, and St. Anthony College of Nursing. What began with a handful of scholarships has grown into a robust initiative supporting over 500 active scholars, more than 100 graduates, and one of the nation’s strongest mentoring programs, with dedicated campus specialists and community volunteers.
In partnership with the City of Rockford and NIU since 2020, the program has produced graduation and retention rates far above national averages—Promise Scholars at Rockford University graduate at 92%, and many continue to advanced degrees or careers locally. With over 70% of new scholars identifying as students of color and more than half of alumni remaining in the region, Rockford Promise not only opens doors to education but strengthens the city’s workforce, equity, and future.
The Superhero Center for Autism
Founded in 2015 by Jamie Dornink after her son’s autism diagnosis, the Superhero Center for Autism is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Loves Park dedicated to empowering individuals with autism and their families through support, education, and community. The Superhero Center for Autism opened a community center in 2019, which provides a free, judgment-free space where over 600 members from Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin can connect, play, and grow through open gyms, sensory-friendly events, teen and sibling groups, and parent education programs.
With more than 100 volunteers logging hundreds of hours annually, the center also hosts adapted holiday celebrations and specialized support for siblings, fostering understanding and inclusion for every family member. Recognized as a top nonprofit in the Rockford area and a finalist for the Excelsior Award, the Superhero Center continues to meet the rising need for sensory-safe, compassionate environments—helping families celebrate their children’s strengths and live their best lives together.
VetsRoll, Inc
Founded in 2010 by Mark and John Finnegan, along with Darlene Finnegan, VetsRoll, Inc. honors America’s senior-most veterans and “Rosie-the-Riveters” by providing Closure, Gratitude, and Respect through a unique four-day, all-expenses-paid journey to Washington, D.C. Each May, 220 veterans and 180 assistants travel together on 11 charter buses for an emotional and healing experience celebrating their service.
Inspired by the Finnegan family’s deep military roots and desire to honor their WWII parents, VetsRoll has grown into a 100% volunteer-driven organization that has served nearly 2,900 veterans and Rosies from 38 states. Beyond the trip itself, VetsRoll fosters lifelong engagement through events, mentorship, and community tributes for fallen heroes, while also involving local high school students as assistants to connect generations. Now in its 17th year, the award-winning program continues to embody empathy, patriotism, and community spirit — demonstrating that veterans “don’t care how much we know, until they know how much we care.”
Corina Curry is the editor of the Rockford Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Who will win this year’s Rockford area Excalibur, Excelsior awards? Here are the finalists
Reporting by Corina Curry, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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