Shaffer to be honored by Unit 4’s biennial Celebration of Success on Nov. 9

MENDON, Ill. — The Unit 4 Foundation’s Nov. 9 Celebration of Success will recognize the accomplishments of the health sciences in the Mendon School District and spotlight the career of Pam Shaffer.

The 6 p.m. program will mark the foundation’s seventh biennial event. It will be held at the Holiday Inn in Quincy, 4821 Oak.

The foundation was organized in 1996. Every two years, dating to 2010, it has acknowledged the success of one particular branch of its school system.

“This event honors people from Unit 4 who have made a difference,” foundation spokesman Phil Conover said.

Past Celebrations of Success have targeted learning (2010), the arts (2012), athletics (2012), Future Farmers of America (2016), the military (2018) and community support (2022). There was no program in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The communities of Lima, Meyer, Ursa, Loraine, Fowler and Mendon make up Unit 4.

Conover said more than $600,000 has been raised through the Celebrations of Success, money that has been given back to Unit 4 schools through scholarships and grants focused on the learning process and student development.

“The foundation provides direct support to faculty and staff and scholarships to students,” Conover said. “In addition, we recognize that many graduates of Unit 4 have gone on and led very successful lives and made valuable contributions in many professions.”

One such person is Shaffer, a Unit 4 alum who Conover said “has embodied the concept of servant leadership” in many segments of her life.

Shaffer served 34 years with the Red Cross, and many of those were as an executive director. Among her numerous honors were being named a 2009 YWCA Woman of Achievement, the Quincy Exchange Club Citizen of the Year in 2014 and serving on numerous boards to help strengthen quality of life in West-Central Illinois.

“Pam has achieved a resume of service that equates to a CEO level of servant leadership, and her experiential development all started in Unit 4,” Conover said.

Reservations for the Celebration of Success may be obtained by calling 217-936-2111, ext. 105. Tickets are $50 per person.

A cocktail hour starting at 6 p.m. precedes the 7 p.m. dinner.