Palmberg, president of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), was one of two recipients of the award this year – the other was shared by former news anchor and documentary host Bill Kurtis and Donna LaPietra, executive producer for Kurtis Productions, a Chicago-based television documentary production company.
Kurtis was recognized during the evening for a different reason – meat served as part of the dinner came from his environmentally friendly grass-fed cattle ranch.
More than 1,000 individuals filled the downtown hotel ballroom in support of this year’s event, “Catch the Spirit.” Anna Davlantes, news anchor and reporter for NBC5 Chicago, served as mistress of ceremonies. All proceeds from the event will benefit the healing environment at the hospital.
The awards were presented by Mark Newton, chief executive officer of Swedish Covenant Hospital. The top photo shows Palmberg (left) with Newton. The lower photo shows Palmberg with Kurtis and LaPietra.
In a surprise announcement, Newton informed Palmberg that he was being honored in yet another – and distinctive – manner. A total of $15,000 has been pledged to construct a new girls dormitory for the school at Karawa in northwestern Congo, where the Covenant works closely with the Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM) in areas of medical care, education, and economic development.
The new dormitory will bear Palmberg’s Congolese name – Bolingo – an endearing name given Palmberg when he visited the country in November 2003. The granting of a special name – Bolingo means “love” – is given as a sign of respect, honor, and affection. The dormitory most likely will be called, Dortoire Tata Bolingo.
The hospital originally decided to donate $5,000 to the Paul Carlson Partnership for the special project to honor his work. That donation was immediately matched by the board of the Paul Carlson Partnership, with an additional $5,000 pledged by Covenant Ministries of Benevolence.
The dormitory project was selected by CEUM President Mossai Sanguma and the CEUM leadership as a meaningful way to not only recognize Palmberg’s passion for the work in Congo, but as a practical way to help the effort to expand educational opportunities for Congo girls.
Palmberg has been active in a number of national and international organizations devoted to the welfare of people around the world, as well as Covenant-originated initiatives, including the newly formed Department of Compassion, Mercy, and Justice. He also is responsible for restructuring and reinvigorating the Paul Carlson Partnership, which is devoted to a number of humanitarian projects in various countries, especially in areas of health, education and economic development.
He serves on the board of Sojourners, has been active in Bread for the World, and serves on the boards of the Alliance to End Hunger, North Park University, and Covenant Ministries of Benevolence.
Kurtis began his television career in Topeka, Kansas, later hired by WMMB-TV in Chicago as a field reporter and eventually anchor of the Channel Two News. He moved on to CBS where he anchored the CBS Morning News. He returned to Chicago and WBBM-TV in 1985, focusing on his work as a documentarian. His 10,000-acre ranch is located in Kansas, in one of the last areas containing untouched tall grass prairie where he raises free-range, grass-fed cattle, which share the land with a wild buffalo herd.
He serves on a number of boards, including The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Foundation, Chicago Green City Market, Chicago Botanic Garden, and the Field Museum of Chicago.
This year’s recipients join a distinguished roster of Spirit of Compassion Award honorees that includes: 2002 – Virginia M. Ohlson, Ph.D., and Roger G. Thorpe, M.D.; 2003 – Ron Santo and Ingvar Wikstrom; 2004 – Paul Carlson, M.D., Chicago Magazine, and Studs Terkel; 2005 – G. Timothy Johnson, M.D., and Jack & Dollie Galter; and 2006 – Bernice Brandel and Dr. James B. McCormick.
The award recognizes outstanding individuals who have had a tremendous impact on the lives of many over the years. Recipients have given selflessly to improve the human condition of others beyond the walls of Swedish Covenant Hospital, reaching throughout the country and often across the globe.
