Boys Town Chicago

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley presents Father Val Arturo Velasquez Community Leadership Award.

Father Peter’s Service to Youth Recognized in Chicago

Boys Town Executive Director Emeritus Father Val Peter received the Arturo Velasquez Community Leadership Award May 25 at the Peace and Education Coalition Scholarship Fundraiser at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field. The award, presented by Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley, recognizes Father Peter for his many years of service providing help, healing and hope to Boys Town youth.

“The most important job a man can have in his life is to be a father,” Father Peter said. “I am privileged to be a father for so many boys and girls. Our programs actually help kids get better, and at the same time help them feel part of a family.”

The event benefits youth from Chicago’s Holy Cross/Immaculate Heart of Mary parish who hope to attend college. Boys Town will serve many of the parish’s youth when the Chicago site opens this fall. “Father Peter has opened the door in recent years to many of our neighborhood children who might otherwise have had no opportunity to pursue their dreams of life,” said Father Bruce Wellems, Chairman of the Peace and Education Coalition and Executive Director of Boys Town Chicago.

The Holy Cross/Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish is located in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood – a low-income, working-class community. Currently, 23 of the neighborhood’s youth reside in the Village of Boys Town. The biggest challenge facing this neighborhood is poverty and its effects on the community, including gangs, drugs and violence.

Elena, who just graduated from Boys Town High School, is one of the 72 youth who received funds from the scholarship, which awards students who demonstrate strong service to the community. While at Boys Town, Elena volunteered for the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart, and St. Francis House, a homeless shelter in downtown Omaha. She plans to attend college in the fall.

“The kids I have worked with throughout the years aren’t heavy,” said Father Peter. “They’re our brothers and sisters.”

More than 300 people attended the fundraiser overlooking the Chicago White Sox baseball field. The three hour event was emceed by Oscar Guzman, sports anchor with Telemundo of Chicago. Rita Cardoso, Program Director with Boys Town Chicago, said the event raised $75,000.