The Aurora African American Heritage Advisory Board is proud to be host to the 19th Annual Aurora Heritage Dinner, Friday, Feb. 28, at The Matrix Club, 808 Illinois Route 59, Naperville. Social hour will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m.. Tickets are $125 per person. Tables are $1,250. For tickets visit www.aurora-il.org/AAHAB.
The evening of empowerment and excellence is a fundraiser to provide scholarships for college-bound high school seniors, and an opportunity honor distinguished community leaders and advocates:
Leader of the year: Michael Pegues, Chief Information Officer for the City of Aurora and Chairman of the Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce, will be recognized for advancing technology and innovation, while bridging the digital divide in our communities.
Lifetime achievement honorees: Theodia Gillespie, President/CEO of the Quad County Urban League, and Pastor Jesse Hawkins of Cathedral of Grace – St. John AME Church, are both celebrated for over 40 years of dedicated service to the Aurora community.
NIA award recipients: Whitney Love, owner of Whitney Love Nail Salon and Hidden Beauty Hair Salon, and Quint Thompson, owner of QT3 Body Systems and two locations of Kathryn’s Place, will be honored for their entrepreneurial spirit and community contributions.
Special guests: Karen Jordan of ABC7 News and Christian Farr of NBC5 News, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo will be recognized for their decades of service to the region and for giving of their time and talents to the upliftment of our communities.
—City of Aurora government
