Mahoney named Civic Achievement Award winner Friday
By Marianne Gillespie
Chillicothe Times-Bulletin
Thu Mar 18, 2010, 09:00 AM CDT
Chillicothe, Ill. -
Known for his involvement with Chillicothe organizations, Mike Mahoney received the Civic Achievement Award Friday night.
The city doles out the honor during the annual Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce banquet.
It actually was his second trip to the front of the room at Pearce Community Center.
“He’s sort of an unsung kind of a hero,” said Mayor Troy Childers. “He does things that aren’t necessarily in the background, but he’s quiet about it.”
He accepted the chamber’s Organization of the Year on behalf of the Chillicothe Optimist Club, of which he is the president this year.
Late last year, the Optimists purchased Town Theatre and fundraised to assist in the purchase. Profits from the venture will benefit local youth groups.
Previously, the Optimists co-sponsored Spider Hill at Three Sisters Park.
A member of the Optimists since 1985, Mahoney dressed up as a scary monster and even lost his voice yelling at the visitors of the Halloween event.
He was named Optimist of the Year in 2005.
Mahoney also can be seen each year dressed in a yellow vest working with the Chillicothe Lions Club as he helps with the Mr. Chillicothe contest during Claud-Elen Days.
He is a member and past president of the club, as well as Lion of the Year 1986-87.
He even has used his skills as an attorney, with an office in downtown Chillicothe, to assist causes in need.
Mahoney is assisting the Chillicothe 4th of July Committee in acquiring a tax-exempt status for the group, which relies on donations to fund the annual fireworks show. He is a volunteer for that group, as well.
He also is a faithful supporter of the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce, serving on its board and being a member for years. He was named the Member of the Year in 1998.
Whether volunteering his time through the years selling candy, sponsoring summer ball teams, picking up trash along the highway, serving food at the Corn Boil, ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, serving breakfast at Eagle Day and much more, he also supports many worthwhile causes in Chillicothe and in the Central Illinois area.
Residents may not know that Mahoney lived in Saudi Arabia, where he graduated from junior high before his family returned to the United States. He graduated high school at Glenbrook North and stayed in the Chicago area to complete his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Loyola University.
He was admitted to the Illinois State Bar in 1979 and is a member of the Peoria County Bar Association.
Childers may have summed it up best about those who have received the Civic Achievement Award through the years, “They make the city look good.”
