Back row (l-r): Bianca Mojica, Savana Kesterson, Tanner Sains, Isabel Bowditch, Scarlett O’Hara, Cassie Repole and Gabriela Rodriguez; Front Row (l-r): Liana O’Rourke, Gabriella Frank, Lina Barsketis, Isabella Novotny and Haley Phillips
District 99’s Operation Snowball Chapter, which consists of students from North High School in Downers Grove (DGN) and South High School in Downers Grove (DGS), was awarded the 2022 Creative and Innovative Award from Operation Snowball at the organization’s statewide annual banquet on Tuesday, May 10 in Springfield, Ill.
Operation Snowball recognized the District 99 Snowball program for achieving successful and innovative Snowball programming especially during the pandemic.
“We’re incredibly proud of our students and co-sponsors for executing meaningful programs for our students at North High School and South High School,” says DGN Student Assistance Program Coordinator Keith Bullock. “It is an honor for our district to be recognized by the state organization.”
At the banquet, the state Operation Snowball organization shared the following accolades about the District 99 Operation Snowball Chapter:
The Creative and Innovative award this year is going to a Team who over the last few years refused to take no for an answer. Every hurdle that they were presented with they came together to brainstorm a way to still make an impact on their school and community. This Team is used to holding overnight Snowball events every semester, one solo and one combined event. They also have found tremendous value in holding the event at an outside facility to give students the opportunity to grow and flourish in a new environment. Throughout the pandemic restrictions have fluctuated for clubs/activities but they were the first Team to push to create an adjusted weekend schedule to be able to provide a space as close to their norm as they could, while still following protocols. They advocate for this program and believe in the impact like no other. Congratulations to our Downers Grove North & South High School Operation Snowball Teams - you make us so proud!
District 99’s Operation Snowball program brings together teenagers and experts to share information and to develop positive attitudes toward life through an informal, social experience. In 2016, the schools’ earned the state recognition award for Outstanding Snowball Chapter.
For more information, contact DGN Student Assistance Program Coordinator Keith Bullock at kbullock@csd99.org or DGS Student Assistance Program Coordinator Antonia Stamatoukos at astamatoukos@csd99.org. Learn more about Operation Snowball on their website.