(Rock
Island,
IL)
April
23, 2012
– Cody
Bender,
Bettendorf,
IA, was
named a
2012
Fraternalist
of the
Year by
the
Illinois
Fraternal
Alliance.
The
award
was
given
during
the
Illinois
Alliance’s
Annual
Meeting
held in
Skokie,
IL.
Cody was
recognized
for his
outstanding
volunteer
work
throughout
the
community
and
Royal
Neighbors.
The
president
of his
local
Royal
Neighbors
chapter,
he leads
his
fellow
members
as they
serve
homeless
meals
and
participate
in Make
A
Difference
Day,
JOIN
HANDS
DAY,
fund-raisers,
and
networking
events.
His
volunteer
spirit
motivates
others
and
serves
as a
role
model
for
other
teens.
As a
member
of his
school’s
Student
Council,
he has
organized
many
volunteer
projects,
including
the
Student
Hunger
Drive
and the
clean-up
of the
high
school
library
garden.
He has
distributed
gifts to
the Iowa
City,
IA,
hospital
and
reads to
the
children.
He cares
for the
yard of
an
elderly
neighbor,
asking
nothing
in
return.
In
addition,
Cody
has:
helped
organize
a Family
Reading
Night at
a local
grade
school
held a
Junior
Golf
Clinic
for his
high
school
volunteered
at a
local
youth
home
where he
cleaned
and
painted
and
spent
quality
time
with the
children
participated
in a
mission
trip to
New York
City
where he
worked
with
children
with
special
needs
and used
his
talents
to make
home
repairs
In the
midst of
his
volunteer
efforts,
Cody
continuously
remains
on the
Honor
Roll;
was
selected
for the
All
Academic
Team for
the
Mississippi
Athletic
Conference
for
participating
in
multiple
sports
while
maintaining
a high
grade
point
average;
and
received
his high
school’s
Sportsmanship
Award
for
three
years in
a row.
A check
from the
Illinois
Fraternal
Alliance
will be
donated
in
Cody’s
name to
Quad
Cities
Muscular
Dystrophy
Association,
his
charity
of
choice.
The
Illinois
Fraternal
Alliance,
a
consortium
of more
than 50
non-profit
fraternal
life
insurance
societies
in the
State of
Illinois,
is
affiliated
with the
American
Fraternal
Alliance
and
promotes
fraternalism
among
its
member
societies.
Royal
Neighbors
of
America,
one of
the
nation’s
largest
women-led
life
insurance
companies,
exists
for the
benefit
of its
members.
It
offers
insurance
products
to
fulfill
financial
needs of
growth,
savings,
and
protection.
Members
receive
valuable
benefits
and can
participate
in
volunteer
activities
through
the
organization's
local
chapters
to help
make a
difference
in their
communities.
The
organization's
philanthropic
efforts
are
dedicated
to
changing
women's
lives
through
its
national
programs,
including
the
Nation
of
NeighborsSM
Program,
and
through
the
Royal
Neighbors
Foundation,
a
501(c)(3)
public
charity.
Headquartered
in Rock
Island,
IL, with
branch
offices
in Mesa,
AZ, and
Austin,
TX,
Royal
Neighbors
serves
more
than
215,000
members
and is
licensed
to do
business
in 42
states
and the
District
of
Columbia.
For more
information
about
Royal
Neighbors
of
America,
call
(800)
627-4762,
or visit
www.royalneighbors.org
.