Know someone who has made Champaign County a better place through advocacy, mentorship, bridge-building or simply showing up for others? Beginning Aug. 22, the Summer of Solidarity coalition will give residents a way to recognize and celebrate those local heroes.
URBANA - Know someone who has made Champaign County a better place through advocacy, mentorship, bridge-building or simply showing up for others?
The Summer of Solidarity coalition wants to hear about them.
Beginning Aug. 22, residents can nominate and recognize living people who live or once lived in Champaign County and who have made a meaningful difference through their care, support, bravery, advocacy, vision, collaboration, respect, kindness or other efforts to strengthen their community.
The coalition is launching the Solidarity Hero of Champaign County, or SHOCC, project to encourage residents to recognize people who have helped make their communities better and to personally celebrate the impact those individuals have had.
SHOCC awards recognize living people who live or once lived in Champaign County and have strengthened their community through actions such as advocacy, mentoring, bridge-building, kindness, courage and leadership. The project aims to build stronger connections by encouraging residents to openly appreciate local heroes and collectively celebrate people working to create a more caring and just community.
The project is intentionally broad. A SHOCC recipient might be someone who has mentored others, built bridges between people, advocated for their community, challenged others to do better, offered support during difficult times or pursued a vision for a better community, state or country.
Residents also can work together to recognize someone they share as a local hero. If the honoree is willing, organizers encourage groups to host a SHOCC celebration to collectively recognize that person's contributions.
The Summer of Solidarity began in 2025 and continues to highlight exemplary local leadership and community-minded efforts. Through the SHOCC project, the coalition hopes to encourage people to recognize those who strengthen the community by putting people over profit and standing up for civil rights, respect and justice.
For residents wondering who to nominate, the coalition's message is simple: Think about the person who helped lead the way for you or others in Champaign County. If that person has made your community stronger through caring, advocacy, courage, mentorship, collaboration or a commitment to a better future, they may be a Solidarity Hero of Champaign County.
Nominators can download SHOCC award certificates and give them to as many eligible recipients as they wish. Each certificate should include a personal explanation of how the honoree has demonstrated meaningful solidarity. Free certificates and information about eligibility and award parameters will be available beginning Aug. 22 on the Summer of Solidarity website.
Physical certificates also will be available for free at five local businesses: Art Coop, Circles, Exile on Main Street, Fire Doll Studio and Spineless Books. Pickup locations and the award parameters will be listed on the Summer of Solidarity website when the project launches.
For more information, contact Aimee Rickman at airiemail@yahoo.com or
https://tinyurl.com/SOScu26
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