Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Rotary Foundation Honors Trio With Paul Harris Fellowship Award

The Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Rotary Foundation will recognize three individuals with Paul Harris Fellowship awards for their lifetime contributions to the communities.

The second-annual Paul Harris Fellowship award ceremony will be held Friday night (May 13) as part of a larger, sold-out event called at Conway Farms Golf Club. The evening will feature wine tasting, wine education and hors d'oeuvres, a wine raffle, wine for purchase and a silent auction.

Proceeds help Rotary fund its youth exchange program, student scholarships, "Literacy Prevents Poverty", and other charitable causes.

 The three honorees include Mike Dau, head coach of the handball team; Capt. , former NASA astronaut who was commander on Apollo 13; and Margot Martino, founder of , a service organization for Lake Forest and Lake Bluff youth.

“The main purpose of the award is to thank these people for the differences they have made in lives of others,” said Fred Jackson, former president and current member of the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Rotary Club.

The Paul Harris Fellowship award honors Rotarian members or members of the Lake Forest or Lake Bluff community that have served their community and contributed internationally, regionally or locally. There have been about 1 million Paul Harris Fellowship award-winners recognized worldwide since its inception.

“There is a common thread with all three recipients,” said Jackson. “They all contributed to making the world a better place.”

A $1,000 donation will be made to the Rotary Foundation in the name of each of the honorees.

“The honorees have all made an impact on other people in different ways, and they all truly represent what the Rotary stand for,” Jackson said. “The three members all contributed to a move toward world peace and making the world a better place.”

Martino will be honored for her dedication to CROYA (Committee Representing Our Young Adults), an organization that serves the youth in the Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and Knollwood areas.

“I’m honored to be part of this wonderful group of people that help make the dreams of our children come true,” Martino said. “It’s really not just me that deserves this award, the whole community was a part of this and did a lot for its youth.”

Martino, one of the founders of CROYA, began volunteering there 30 years ago and it still active in the organization today. CROYA is now a student-led organization that helps youths become involved in making a positive impact in the community.

“I’m just tremendously honored to receive an award for doing something that has given me just as much back as I’ve given to it,” said Martino.

Martino also served as chair of the United Way of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff and founded the Parents Council, (what is currently - Linking Efforts Against Drugs).

The Fellowship award is a significant milestone for Dau, who has eclipsed many of them as head coach of the Lake Forest College handball team for the past 43 years.

“I am honored that there are people in the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff community that think enough of my contributions, primarily at the college, to recommend me for this award,” said Dau.

Dau, a 1958 graduate of Lake Forest College, has led his teams to 36 national championships, including seven straight from 1978 to 1984.

“Mike made an impact on a lot of students that have been successful due to his dedication,” Jackson said.

He also served as the athletic director at Lake Forest College and is a member of U.S Handball Association.

“My time at Lake Forest has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” said Dau. “I continue to look forward to playing a small part in the lives of the athletes I coach.”

Capt. Lovell will be honored for the second time in the past year. Last fall, Lovell was tapped a by the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Historical Society. The NASA astronaut served his country as the commander of Apollo 13 and the command module pilot of Apollo 8. He was also a part of the Gemini 7 and Gemini 12 missions. He was one of only 24 people to have orbited near the moon.   

Lovell co-wrote a book, Lost Moon, a first-hand account about the Apollo 13 mission, which the movie starring Tom Hanks was later based on.

“It is an honor to be recognized with James Lovell with all of his accomplishments,” Dau said.

In 1973, Lovell left the world of space and became a businessman at Bay-Houston Towing Co., which he became president and CEO of in 1975. In 1999, Lovell opened up a family-run restaurant, .

“The award is a thank-you to the recipients for the difference they have made the lives of others,” said Jackson. “Many other people’s dreams came true because of them.”