Q98.5’s Exceptional Essential Workers Squad

There are so many listeners who are helping our community.
Fill out the form below so we can give them a shout out on air to show our appreciation or download the Q98.5 app and send us your own recorded shout out that we'll play back on air!

A huge thank you shout out to:

• Kerstein Bracken-Kerstein is a registered nurse working at Mercy Rockton Avenue she is working directly with the covid-19 unit
• Bellwood Animal Hospital-To all the workers at Bellwood animal hospital that have been working all day, 6 days a week treating your pets when they are hurt or feeling sick.  Your doing a great job, keep up the good work!
• Teresa Dover-My daughter delivers groceries for Walmart. I've been with her. I see how she brightens the faces of the elderly. She has went out of her way to put the groceries exactly where they want them. I'm very proud of her. God bless her.
• Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory  They have been amazing and very helpful with my mother’s service, and did all they could to accommodate us during the pandemic. They've been nonstop helpful and have taken care of every need my family had. I am very grateful for them and all the work they did.
• GE Healthcare-All the hard working people at GE healthcare working 24 hours a week working 24 making ventilators to help save peoples lives Way to go guys you rock GE healthcare Madison Wisconsin is always there for for you
• Kyle Gluck-Kyle works at Scott's RV, truck, and auto in Rockford. He's an ASE master certified diesel mechanic which means he works on RVs, food trucks, utility trucks, AND AMBULANCES!
• Cecilia Gonzalez-My sister works at Rosecrance as a receptionist but of course she always do more than she should and barley gets any credit for it. She’s such a hard worker and making sure everything is done properly with the COVID-19 going on so no one gets sick while they are there!
• Daniel Jacobs-Daniel works at Walmart in Woodstock. This may not seem like a big deal to some of you but these men and women risk their health everyday and have to deal with grumpy people because of something that may be out off stock. Daniel continues to get up and go to work everyday and makes the most of the situation.
• Abbie Janicke-Abbie is an x-ray technician at Swedish-American Creekside. She has been performing her x-ray duties, in addition to screening every person that enters the clinic.  She has had to endure some not so friendly and hostile people; however, she continues to fulfill her role with kindness and compassion for each person. I felt bad for her when she went to McDonald's on Riverside yesterday to honor their thank-you meal to healthcare workers and was told she does not qualify because she is not a nurse or a doctor.
• Andrew Johnson-My husband works for one of the local hospitals in their IT department. Not only has he been doing his regular work when technology breaks down or malfunctions, but he and his coworkers have been putting in tons of over time to set up telehealth stations for providers so patients can be seen in the safety of their home as well as setting up the incident command post so that all aspects of emergency operations can run smoothly. Although I also work in a direct patient care aspect of healthcare, he is by and far much more “essential” than I am at this time. I want him to know how proud I am of him and all that he is doing to help weather this pandemic.
• Lance Jones-Lance is a POLICE OFFICER for the Crystal Lake Police department.
• Dacia Keim-Dacia Keim, RN at Mercyhealth at Home in Rockford wants to recognize her entire team for being so incredible during this very difficult time. They are truly amazing and working hard for their patients and their families every day.
• Kinder Care Village-The women at KinderCare on moray dr/Mulford rd are simply amazing they are like family now they watch over my grand’s as if they were family I adore each of them and am extremely grateful for them being part of my Littles village. Thank you and sending much love virtually
• Brandi McDaniel-Brandi is a RN at P.A. Peterson.  She works full-time to help the elderly and sick and then goes home to a toddler and 7 month old preemie baby.  The stress of not knowing if she is exposing her family to the virus has to be tremendous.  She's always willing to help anyone in need at anytime.  Thank you for all you do!
• Tony McDaniel- CNC Specialist at Concentric.  Thank you to everyone at the shop for working 6 days a week through the shelter at home.  You guys rock!
• Scott McNeilly-Scott works for Orville quante. They are a septic pumping company.  With the shortage of TP I think there will be a HUGE need for this in the upcoming weeks. Thank you Orville Quante!
• MercyHealth Hospice Team at 4223 East State St.-Every day this team does everything in their power to make our patients lives the best it can be doing the hardest part of life. Especially during this hard time. We have collected personal need items and also food to give to our patients and their families so they don’t have to leave the house. This way they stay safe and keep their loves one safe also.
• NIU Dining Staff-All the Dining staff at NIU, New hall dining, they are busy making and serving to go meals for the student staying in our dorm. Working hard to keep them safe, give them plenty of food in their home away from home.
• Rockford Urological Associates –The crew at Rockford Urological Associates are bravely serving the community and assisting the needs of our patients.
• Performance Food Service/Delivery Drivers-To all Performance Food Service. Still out here making sure people have something to eat! Stay safe and stay healthy.
• Joe Perez-Joe works as a warehouse manager at Professional Plastics, formerly known as Adapt Plastics. He is in charge of running the saw and processing orders for companies that process our food. If the food processing machines breakdown, Joe cuts the plastics to fix the machines. They have also started cutting and creating the plastics for the full face shields for Front Line workers, as well as the plastic sheets stores are putting up between the cashiers and customers. Thank you for all you do, Joe!!
• Pressure Wash This Inc.-They wash sidewalks and homes using biodegradable commercial cleaning agents Using Hot water to kill off algae and germs and anything outside
• Daniel Riggs-Grease monkey on sanndyhollow he's a assistant manager and mechanic and the best husband a woman could ask for
• Rockford Family Eye Care-Dr.Ron, Vasana, Dr.Hansen, Dana,Ka-Sandra,Erika
• Employees at Roscrance Heath Network: These Employees have kept going made several changes, amongst screening new clients for symptoms all while trying to stay healthy themselves. Drug and Alcohol Addiction and Mental Health do not stop when it come to times like these.
• Kyle Schaefer -Work as Security Cop in Rockford
• Angel Shockey-Angel is a daycare teacher and she works at hand in hand daycare, they are only open to the Frontline workers.
• Stockton Center Veterinary Employees-The Vet's are Dr. Julie Crome and Dr. Thomas Hepperly, Vet Tech Valerie Girot, and Vet Assistants Samantha Miller and Jessica Willis. They are all doing an amazing job taking care of animals that come in!
• Everyone at Stephenson Service Company-I am proud of everyone at the company from our home office staff to all the applicators including myself ensuring every customer has a safe and prosperous planting season #plant2020
• Swedish American Ryan Jury Learning Center-All the teachers at the Swedish American Ryan Jury learning center. They are still coming to work everyday to provide child care to the children of the essential employees at Swedish American. Not only do they come in everyday, they still do their lesson plans, they still care for the children but are now doing it for a lot less than ever before. While loosing out on hours and money they still are providing a top notch learning environment for the children. They are the hero’s that go unnoticed!
• Trevor Yeager-Firefighter/Paramedic and Farmer. He works days for the Cortland fire dept. and then goes and does farm work at night.
• Tyler Veterinary Clinic-Dr. Tyler, Courtney, Kayla, Kelly and Albert all do such a wonderful job working during this difficult time taking care of all our furry friends. They're passionate about what they do and give the best care for all the animals.
• Brittany Wilson-Behavioral health nurse at mercy hospital
• Noah Wulfekuhle-Noah works a Kent Farms Inc. in Winslow Illinois, he is a hard working farm hand and helps feed America during hard times like this.
• XPO Logistics Freight - A special thank you to ALL our the truck drivers making  pickups / deliveries for our local businesses  and not to mention our night drivers hauling that freight at night. Thank you to all of our dock workers making sure everything is loaded & unloaded to the correct customers. Thank you to our office staff making sure everything runs smoothly for both our drivers & customers! And Thank you to the ALL management & our manager Victor Bury for always being a good leader!We are on this together! THANK YOU to ALL the Essential Workers!