PAWS Chicago’s Founder, Paula Fasseas, named Chicagoan of the Year
by Kris Garvey | Apr 30, 2008
The Transformers
Each year since 1994, Chicago has honored a handful of people whose actions have changed life in the region for the better. This year we honor a champion of the disabled, an African American publisher, a world-renowned chef, a mother who turned loss into hope, a lifesaving animal lover, a kid helping other kids, and a longtime advocate of tolerance and diversity. At a January luncheon at the Four Seasons, Chicago will celebrate the achievements of these seven remarkable individuals and reward them each with a $1,000 donation from the Chicago Tribune Foundation for the charity of their choice.
This past January, PAWS Chicago’s founder Paula Fasseas was added to the list of highly regarded Chicago activists who have been honored with one of Chicago’s most respected awards: Chicago magazine’s Chicagoan of the year.
In addition to the luncheon at the Four Seasons on January 24th, Fasseas and this year’s other recipients were recognized with a feature in the January issue of Chicago magazine, a video documentary on each of their achievements that aired on CLTV throughout December and January and a $1,000 contribution to their favorite charity from the Chicago Tribune Foundation.
In her article, Jennifer Wehunt wrote: “It’s like a scene out of Snow White—if Snow White had an MBA. As Paula Fasseas prowls the new PAWS adoption center, downy hounds lick her fingertips and skinny kittens twine around her ankles. It almost seems as if they know that Fasseas, the founder and chair of Pets Are Worth Saving (PAWS), is the best friend Chicago’s homeless animals have.”
This year’s honorees also include Charlie Trotter, Kathleen Casey, Marca Bristo, Kendall Ciesemier, Haki Madhubuti and Modesto Valle. Congratulations to all of these wonderful Chicagoans for their many achievements. We would like to thank each of them for their continued efforts to make Chicago a better place for all.