Township Staff Honored for work with Snowball

If you walked into the room during a meeting, you might be overwhelmed by the boisterous nature. Dozens of teens, laughing, chanting, making warm fuzzies; it’s all part of Operation Snowball, a prevention program started in 1977. District 99 in Downers Grove is a part of the rich history of Snowball, dedicating a vast amount of time, energy and resources to provide three prevention-focused retreats during the school year. On Wednesday, May 23, both the District 99 Snowball Chapter and the Township’s own Lauren Aramburu, were recognized by the state Operation Snowball, for their dedication.

Ron Jakubisin, the Director of Development for CGTI/Operation Snowball, was on hand to present the awards to District 99 and Lauren. Also on hand were over a dozen seniors from both Downers Grove North and South High School, celebrating the award as they get ready to move on to the next chapter of their lives. When Lauren was asked to say a few words, she was choked up. The love that she has for the students was evident as she just thanked them for the recognition.

We’re proud of Lauren and District 99. Their dedication to the students is evident in all that they do. The world is a challenging place and the students at these schools have been given opportunities to be around people who want to equip them to navigate that world and do it in a way that is healthy. Congratulations! You’ve earned it!