Victory Place: 2025 Gala

The Second Annual Victory Place Awards Gala and Fundraiser - October 25, 2025

Held at Scrementi’s Restaurant in Steger, IL, the gala celebrated the outstanding contributions of veterans, first responders, and community leaders who embody service and resilience.

• Over 116 guests attended.

• Silent auction highlights included ten handcrafted pens donated by a veteran/first responder artisan (Skip Rogers), and ten custom-made wine baskets.

• Honorees were recognized for leadership, compassion, and dedication to service.

  
  

• 2025 Victory Place Lori Wilcox Award Recipients: Presentation of Awards

  Lemuel Slaughter, Former Chicago Heights Vet Center Director

  Retired Colonel Eugene, Blackwell VFW State Commander

  Retired Colonel Constance Edwards

  Retired Lieutenant Colonel Arthurine Jones

  Jim Daugherty - Champion for Veterans Access to VA Benefits

  Margo Watson, IL Dept. of Veterans Affairs Women’s Coordinator

  LaShun Nash, Travis Manion Foundation CEO

  Alvin Richards, Master of Integrated Health and Wellness

  Glenise Story, Accounting Genus

  Revin Fellows, The Master Organizer

  Dr. Kammie Jurwin, Wise Old Owl Consulting

  Trauma Informed First Responders’ Program

  CPD Officer Carrie Matthews, The Other Side of Suicide Podcast

  Carol Mallet, Retired Combat Veteran

  Larry D. Patton, The Voice-Over King

  William V. Taylor Jr., Author of On Full Automatic,

  Combat Marine Vietnam Veteran