Brent VanWey receives Rockwell Collins Good Citizenship award
Rockwell Collins Import Compliance Manager Brent VanWey with his wife, Christie, and daughter, Mikayla.
Brent VanWey's personal commitment to make a difference in the lives of families of children with cancer has earned him the
Rockwell Collins 2009 Good Citizenship Award. The annual award is given to a Rockwell Collins employee who exemplifies the
company's commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the communities where it operates.
VanWey, an import compliance manager at the company's Cedar Rapids headquarters, has always been volunteer-minded. He has
done work with the children's ministry at his church, and was involved in the Grady Paul Larson Foundation, a local group
that plans an annual softball tournament fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. When VanWey's own daughter, Mikayla, was
diagnosed with leukemia in 2007, one of the first things he considered was how he could find a way to help other families
facing the same situation.
Then VanWey and his wife, Christie, found Flashes of Hope, a Cleveland-based organization with the mission of creating uplifting
portraits of kids with life-threatening diseases. The VanWeys partnered with the University of Iowa's fundraiser, Dance Marathon,
to bring Flashes of Hope to Iowa.
"We had a professional photographer take pictures of my daughter in fun poses. Those are the most precious photos that I have,"
VanWey said. "When we saw those pictures, we knew instantly what we could do to help other families."
VanWey has also worked to bring a support group called Club HOPE (Helping Other Parents Endure) to Eastern Iowa parents. He
is also in the planning stages of a fund-raising can recycling drive with Wal-Mart, with proceeds going to the Dance Marathon,
a Children's Miracle Network partner.
Other finalists for the Good Citizenship Award include Kelli Hoback, senior systems engineer, Cedar Rapids; and Estela Martinez,
manufacturing operator, Mexicali, Mexico.
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