Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Tri-State area

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact
Doug Kamholz, program director
Illinois State Museum Foundation
P.O. Box #8718
Springfield, Illinois 62791
(217) 744-0660
e-mail info@statefairmuseum.org
details at www.statefairmuseum.orgPAULINE MCDONALD OF BUSHNELL
NAMED 2012 ILLINOISAN OF THE DAY(7/19/2012 Springfield, IL) Pauline McDonald, of Bushnell, has been named a 2012 Illinoisan of the Day by the Illinois State Fair Museum Foundation. She will be honored on Saturday, August 18, at this year’s fair in Springfield. McDonald has served her McDonough County community in many ways during her decade-plus on the city council. One mainstay of her volunteer work for about 20 years has been the village swimming pool, a non-profit that needs both regular cleaning and fund-raising. She is also known for organizing celebrations around major holidays in Bushnell. As her nominator said, “She is a dynamo and we’re glad Pauline is so caring of our city.”
Each spring the museum foundation seeks nominations of Prairie State residents who volunteer in their communities, work to brighten lives of their neighbors and represent the best of Illinois citizenship. Bushnell’s mayor Steve Russell joined in endorsing McDonald, whose name was announced July 14 at the foundation’s annual fund-raiser, the Corndog Kick-off, held on the fairgrounds in Springfield. As part of this year’s ceremony during the Illinois State Fair, McDonald will be a guest on her special day. She will be escorted to the Farm Bureau stage under the Commodities Pavilion along Grandstand Avenue. At noon McDonald will be interviewed publicly and honored with gifts including a proclamation from Governor Pat Quinn declaring August 18, 2012, Pauline McDonald Day all across the Prairie State. Other winners this year are Bill Garver of Virginia, Mike Bigger of Wyoming, Anthony Haislar of Highland, Sister Rosemary Connelly of Chicago, Ken Getz of Morton, Marla Behrends of Carlock, Lynn Chard of Rochester, Haley Jo Bosler of Sandoval, and Vanessa Tyus of Jacksonville.
The nonprofit State Fair Museum Foundation works to preserve fair artifacts and memories. Its collection will be free and open to the public during the fair, August 10-19, under the north end of the Grandstand.-30- Note to editors: Ms. McDonald may be reached at (309) 772-9093 or paulinejerrymac@yahoo.com .