Joliet Hall of Pride inducting 6 members in honor of their community service

The Joliet Hall of Pride induction ceremony for “community champions” will be Aug. 14.

The reservation deadline for tickets to the event is Friday.

Six people will be inducted in a ceremony that recognizes three years of inductees for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The 2025 inductee is Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., who died this year during an Army training mission in Lithuania.

The three inductees for 2024 are R. Dale Evans, and Dick and Millie Schuster. Evans is a youth advocate and former social service coordinator at the Housing Authority of Joliet. The Schusters are leading members of Joliet Community Television, for which they film numerous local events.

The 2023 inductees are Debra Condotti, president and CEO of Easterseals Joliet Region, and Tony Arellano, a Vietnam War veteran who serves as an advocate for veterans, seniors and people with disabilities.

“Each inductee has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to community enrichment, leadership, and service – hallmarks of the spirit of Joliet,“ according to a news release about the ceremony from the Joliet Area Historical Museum.

The ceremony will be at the Joliet Area Historical Museum, 204 N. Ottawa St. in Joliet.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception that includes a cash bar and access to museum exhibits.

The induction ceremony is from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Tickets are $25 a person and $200 for a table of eight.

Tickets can be purchased at the Joliet Area Historical Museum website, which is jolietmuseum.org. Tickets also can be bought at the museum gift shop, which is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by calling 815-723-5201.

The Joliet Hall of Pride is housed in the Joliet Area Historical Museum’s “Champions Gallery” and “stands as a lasting tribute to individuals who have profoundly influenced the region through acts of service, mentorship and leadership,” according to the release.

The Hall of Pride was created through Project Acclaim, which was founded in 1985 as Joliet/Will County Project Pride.

For more information about the Aug. 14 ceremony, contact H’Aeneise Coopwood, outreach coordinator for the museum, at 815-723-5201, ext. 7221 or H.Coopwood@jolietmuseum.org.