Click to visit Camp I Am Me sitePress Release: Lemont Resident Honored for Outstanding Volunteer Service to Burn Survivors
ComEd's parent company, Exelon, awards $10,000 grant to honor David Schury
CHICAGO (May 10, 2012) – ComEd employee David Schury of Lemont, Ill., received an achievement award for his volunteer service with the Tragedy to Triumph Foundation. The volunteer recognition is part of Exelon's companywide annual Energy for the Community Volunteer Awards and comes with a $10,000 cash grant to the foundation in Schury's honor.
Schury, an area operator with Exelon subsidiary ComEd, and his wife Michele created the Tragedy to Triumph Foundation in 2010. The foundation provides college scholarships to area burn survivors. To date, the foundation has raised more than $70,000 to fund 13 scholarships. The foundation also raises funds to send injured electrical workers to the annual World Burn Congress for support in their emotional and physical recovery.
"Dave's compassion and empathy for those in need is only matched by his drive to do what he believes in," said Ryan Nelson, Tragedy to Triumph Foundation vice president and board member. "The inspiration and support he gives to burn survivors is immeasurable. He's been there and he understands their struggle. He is a hero to all of them and a source of inspiration."
Schury began volunteering more than a decade ago with Loyola University Medical Center's Burn Center after suffering an injury on the job that left him with burns to over 30 percent of his body. After recovering from his injuries, Schury wanted to assist other burn survivors and began volunteering at Loyola in their burn-support programs.
Schury also volunteers a week of his time every year at the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance-sponsored Burn Camp and volunteers at a burn support program called Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery (SOAR).
"As a burn survivor, working with children who were burned has been a rewarding privilege," said Schury. "It's important to understand that the road ahead involves emotional and physical work. Our goal is to make sure that they don't walk that path alone and they have the confidence and support to fulfill their goals."
Schury's volunteer service was recognized by Exelon in 2007 and 2008 with merit awards and $5,000 cash grants each year to Loyola University Medical Center's burn-recovery programs.
Christopher M. Crane, Exelon president and CEO, presented Schury the achievement award in Chicago on Tuesday, May 8.
"Employee volunteers like David bring Exelon's corporate citizenship values to life in the communities where we work and serve," said Steve Solomon, vice president of corporate relations at Exelon. "I congratulate him and all of our employee volunteers who continue to find the time to demonstrate our strong commitment to community service."
Exelon introduced the Energy for the Community Volunteer Awards in 2007 to honor employees who demonstrate exceptional commitment to community service and to encourage increased volunteerism among employees. Schury is one of 12 employees who received volunteer awards and grant donations for the nonprofit organizations they serve. Exelon donated a total of $100,000 in cash grants to those nonprofits this year.
Exelon's Energy for the Community Volunteer Awards were open to all eligible employees from the Exelon family of companies, including ComEd, who volunteered at least 50 hours of community service in 2011. Last year, more than 2,400 Exelon employee volunteers gave nearly 62,000 hours of their time to community nonprofit organizations. The donated hours are equivalent to 1,550 workweeks or nearly 30 years of full-time service. ComEd employees volunteered more than 15,700 hours in 2011.
The awards are part of Exelon's Energy for the Community corporate citizenship program, which encourages volunteerism to support environmental stewardship; education, arts and culture; neighborhood enhancement; and diversity in the communities it serves.
