2026 Hearts of Gold Nomination Form

2026 Hearts of Gold Nomination Form
The Arlington Heights Special Events Commission invites you to nominate someone who lives or works in Arlington Heights for the 2026 Hearts of Gold Awards Program!

Nominees should be someone who has positively affected the lives of others in our community and they must live or work in Arlington Heights. You can nominate an individual, a couple, or a group of people.

Once your nomination is submitted, you will receive confirmation of your submission. Your nomination will be reviewed by the Special Events Commission at their November 9th meeting. You will be notified if your nominee is selected as a Heart of Gold winner by mid-December.

Nominations received in for the 2025 Hearts of Gold Awards will also be considered for 2026.

Submitting a Nomination:

The deadline to submit a 2026 nomination is Wed, Nov. 5, 2026. When you submit the online form you will be taken to a confirmation page, thanking you for your submission. You may also email or mail your nominations to Avis Meade, Communications & Outreach Coordinator at ameade@vah.com, or send it to 33 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005.

Recommendations for Nominations
We highly encourage you to include as much information as possible in your nomination. This may include:
- Details about your nominee and their contributions to the Arlington Heights community, including volunteering history if applicable.
- If your nomination is related to a nominee's chosen career, please include examples how they go above and beyond their required job responsibilities.
- Adding additional letters of support from other community members to help to bolster your nomination.
- Any other examples or information that support your nomination.
Select a Category
Please choose one or more categories below for the person(s) you are nominating. If you are unsure, select "Let the Commission Decide" and the Special Events Commission will place the nominee in a category that best suit the nomination. Please note that the Commission may choose to redirect nominations into a different category than originally submitted, based on a variety of factors.
Choose One or More Award Categories

MENTOR HEART OF GOLD recognizes an individual or organization who inspires others to excel, serves as a role model and provides leadership and mentoring that helps improve behavior, performance, and/or employment skills.BEST NEIGHBOR HEART OF GOLD recognizes a resident of Arlington Heights who consistently goes out of his or her way to make a significant impact on the life of a neighbor.EDUCATOR HEART OF GOLD recognizes an educator who goes beyond expectations to teach others. The recipient must live in, work in or teach those who reside in Arlington Heights.YOUNG AT HEART HEART OF GOLD recognizes a Senior in Arlington Heights who continues to actively and enthusiastically contribute to our community.HEROIC HEART OF GOLD recognizes a person whose actions changed the trajectory of another person’s life.VOLUNTEER HEART OF GOLD recognizes an individual with a true volunteer spirit who contributes his or her time to one or more charitable or civic organizations in our village.COMMUNITY SPIRIT HEART OF GOLD recognizes an individual or group who sets high standard for service, encourages a sustained commitment to civic participation, and inspires others with their community spirit.BUSINESS LEADER HEART OF GOLD recognizes a business or organization that makes our village a better place to work and live through participation and/or philanthropic support of community organizations and programs.KENNETH M BONDER BEAUTIFICATION HEART OF GOLD named for a former village manager, recognizes an individual or group that has created a sustained visual enhancement to the village.PAM STOCKING COMMUNITY SERVICE HEART OF GOLD recognizes an individual whose passion and spirit has impacted the village in a unique and special way.YOUNG CHAMPION HEART OF GOLD recognizes a middle or high school student who has had an exceptional impact on the Arlington Heights community.Let the Commission Decide!
Nominator (Your) Full Name*

First NameLast Name
Nominator (Your) Email Address *
example@example.com
Nominator (Your) Phone Number*
Please enter a valid phone number.
Nominator (Your) Address

Street Address

CityState

Zip Code
Information About Your Heart of Gold Nominee(s)
Who Are You Nominating? (If you are nominating a group or organization, please provide the first and last name of a contact.)*

First NameLast Name
Optional: If nominating a Group or Organization, please provide the Group/Organization's name
What is your Nominee's Address?*

Street Address

CityState

Zip Code
Nominee Phone Number *
Please enter a valid phone number.
Nominee's Email Address: We ask that you provide this information if at all possible. If the person does not have an email address, this section is not mandatory, however in order to send updates and information to the nominees, an email address is strongly recommended.
example@example.com
Recommendations for Nominations

The Special Events Commission will consider nominees based off of the information that you provide. We look forward to learning about your Nominee and specific ways that they give back to the Village of Arlington Heights.

Suggestions for information to include, while maintaining less than 500 words, or 2 pages double-spaced:
- Your Nominee's connection to the Village of Arlington Heights
- If you are nominating someone for something similar to their job, please explain how their efforts go above and beyond their career description
- Please provide as much detail as possible about your nominee's volunteerism, community projects they have been part of, or other ways that they fit the Heart of Gold description
- Any additional information that may set them apart
Please provide information about your nominee and why they should be considered for a Heart of Gold Award.
Optional: Upload supporting documents related to your submission. Examples: letters of support, newspaper articles, pictures, etc.

Cancelof
Should be Empty:

2026 Hearts of Gold Nomination Form

Information About Your Heart of Gold Nominee(s)