River Commitment Awards Honor Exceptional Work
Left to right, Raed Mansour, Friends' Executive Director Margaret Frisbie, Robert Weinstock, Mark Templeton, and Doug McConnell.
Friends of the Chicago River honored 36 worthy recipients with our 2024 River Commitment Awards at the 2025 Member & Volunteer Celebration held in Februay at the Chicago Maritime Museum on the Bubbly Creek, a section of South Fork of the South Branch of the Chicago River. The event and awards celebrate our shared accomplishments, build excitement for the year ahead, and recognize awardees for their exceptional efforts on behalf of our mission to protect and restore the river system for all people, water, and wildlife.
“Our River Commitment Award recipients exemplify the action and advocacy that is instrumental to the revitalization of the Chicago-Calumet River system,” said Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River. “These leaders who choose to represent us in court, lead community action, or tirelessly strive to change how people perceive and use the river are all contributing to real and permanent positive change. Like all our members and volunteers, we could not do what we do without them.”
River Champion Award: For their leadership and legal expertise in litigation of the Trump International Hotel & Tower’s failure to follow state and federal regulations that protect the health of the Chicago River, the 2024 River Champion award honors attorneys Albert Ettinger; Robert Weinstock, director of the Environmental Advocacy Center at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’ and Mark Templeton, clinical professor of law and director of the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School as well as 31 legal assistants and law students who were instrumental in case throughout the past seven years. In September 2024, a Cook County judge found that Trump Tower violated and is in violation of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and committed a continuing public nuisance through repeated failures to comply with state and federal law dating back to 2008.
Spirit of the River Award: For his vison and persistence in establishing the Chicago River Swim, the 2024 Spirit of the River award honors Doug McConnell, CEO and co-founder of A Long Swim, whose mission is to design and manage open water swimming events to raise funds for collaborative world-class ALS research. Originally planned for the Main Stem of the Chicago River, the Chicago River Swim is an extraordinary open-water swim event emblematic of all the hard work to reclaim the river as a beautiful natural resource that is accessible, fun, and healthy. At the insistence of the City of Chicago, the 2024 swim was moved to Lake Michigan; but McConnell has plans to host it in the river this year.
Volunteer of the Year Award: For his energy, passion, and commitment, the 2024 Volunteer of the Year award honors Raed Mansour, a board member of Openlands. From participating in Friends’ Technical Advisory Team for our award-winning Natural Solutions Tool, to managing River Park community stewardship, or running in our Race for the River 5K and Family Festival, Raed actively supports Friends and exemplifies the characteristics of a dedicated volunteer and river advocate who is willing to contribute his time and talent.
“Friends’ awardees, members, volunteers, staff, board, partners, and funders are dedicated and determined advocates who are infused with action to carry our mission forward to protect and restore the Chicago-Calumet River system,” continued Frisbie. “We have been here for 45 years and, regardless of the challenges that may be ahead, we will carry on.”
Get Involved
If you are interested in learning more about our many volunteer opportunities please sign up for our monthly volunteer e-newsletter – CREW, join the CREW group on Facebook, or reach out to schedule a River Action Day for your group.
Special thanks to the Chicago Maritime Museum and to Zaytune Mediterranean Grill for their generous food donation.
