Maine Township is accepting nominations for a resident to receive a community accolade in honor of a sheriff’s deputy who lived in and was “deeply involved” in the township.
Nominations are being sought for the 2025 Sgt. Karen Lader Memorial Good Citizen’s Award, officials announced in an electronic newsletter to residents, which will be presented to a Maine Township resident who has shown support and dedication to the community.
The winner will be given a plaque and recognized at the Maine Township Annual Town Meeting on April 8, according to the newsletter post.
Township officials started the honorarium in 2011 in tribute to Lader, who was from Des Plaines and was a 15-year veteran of the Cook County sheriff’s office. She lost her battle with cancer in 2010, the post explains.
She is credited with being “deeply involved” with township residents, especially in the Neighborhood Watch Program. The post explains that Lader was also active in the National Night Out Against Crime event held annually in August. She also worked on Special Olympics and animal rescue.
“Sergeant Karen Lader was not only a caring police officer, her life was an example of what it means to be a good citizen,” Maine Township Clerk Peter Gialamas stated in the post. “She was someone who truly cared about making a difference. I am proud to have known her.”
Nomination forms may be submitted online or picked one up in person at Maine Township Town Hall, 1700 Ballard Rd., Park Ridge, during regular business hours. The deadline for submission is Friday.
Those who have a “formal or informal relationship to any Maine Township elected official or Township staff member is barred from nominating someone or receiving the award,” the post states.
