Ukelele Station America owner picked as Oregon’s Citizen of Year

Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce 2022 Citizen of the Year John Lindhorst hugs Lori Peterson while Chamber Executive Director Liz Vos looks on. Peterson presented Lindhorst with the award at the Chamber's annual awards dinner. The event took place Aug. 18 at River's Edge Experience.

OREGON — It took a little misdirection to get John Lindhorst to attend this year’s Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce’s awards dinner.

“It’s called, ‘Lying to me,’” Lindhorst said, smiling even as he playfully chided Lori Peterson and Chamber Executive Director Liz Vos during the Aug. 18 event held at River’s Edge Experience.

“We lied to him, yes,” Peterson and Vos admitted with chuckles. The two had conspired to convince Lindhorst that Peterson was to receive an award.

But, when it came time to name the 2022 Citizen of the Year, Vos called Peterson to the podium — not to accept the award — but to introduce John Lindhorst as the winner.

“Well-played,” he told them after accepting the award.

It was a very unexpected honor, said Lindhorst, who owns Ukulele Station America and Oregon Music Garage, both in Oregon.

“I will tell you, it’s fun to be recognized for something that you don’t think about,” he said. “My mother’s from Italy, and she always said, ‘Do what you love, and do it with passion,’ and my father, being from Germany, said, ‘Follow your guts.’ So between those two, I’m somewhere in the middle, I think.

“This is quite an honor,” Lindhorst continued. “Thank you very much.”

Lindhorst has dedicated countless hours volunteering with local fundraisers, as well as donating financially, Peterson said. He also promotes Oregon as president of Oregon Together.

“The investment he has made in Ukulele Station America and Oregon Music Garage is a testament to his dedication, ability and success,” she said. “For these reasons, and many more, the Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce would like to recognize [Lindhorst] and thank for his many years of contributions.”

Lindhorst has brought much joy to the greater Oregon community and beyond, Peterson said.

The 2022 Volunteer of the Year award went to Sue Heng for her work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce 2022 Volunteer of the Year Sue Heng, right, poses with Chamber Executive Director Liz Vos, left, and Chamber Board of Directors President Donna Mann during the annual awards dinner. The event took place Aug. 18 at River's Edge Experience. Heng was selected for her work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“It really just caught me off guard,” Heng said of the award. “I guess it’s good to have the acknowledgment. It’s just so fulfilling for me to grant the wishes. I just have so much fun doing it. Make-A-Wish does just as much for me as I do for the kids.”

Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors President Donna Mann presented Heng’s award.

“Right here in Oregon, we have a person who helps grant wishes for children in northern Illinois,” Mann said. “A wish that can be the spark that helps children diagnosed with critical illness to believe that anything is possible, and gives them the strength to fight harder against their illnesses.”

Mann explained that Heng has granted several years and several wishes to children since her retirement from E.D. Etnyre & Co. Heng deserves the award “for all the dreams that she has helped bring to life,” she said.

“In a community like Oregon, sometimes there’s people that work so hard behind the scenes that really do make a difference,” she said. “Sue, we really appreciate all that you do.”

Other Awards

RiverStone Christian Church was given the Civic Leadership award. Ogle County Brewery — owned by Joshua Skinner, Brian Wynn and Mike Blasciak — won the Welcome to the Chamber award.

The Business of the Year award went to Fischers and the Committee’s Choice Award was presented to Wiggale.

Alexa Zoellner

Alexa Zoellner

Alexa Zoellner reports on Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties for Shaw Media out of the Dixon office. Previously, she worked for the Record-Eagle in Traverse City, Michigan, and the Daily Jefferson County Union in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.