NIU Foundation honors Wheaton couple for philanthropy   In a season known for giving, Wheaton residents Donald G. and Helen Gum Westlake are being hailed as NIU Foundation Outstanding Philanthropists and exemplary members of a new donor recognition program.   Northern Illinois University President John G. Peters and his wife, Barbara, greeted the Westlakes and nearly 200 other people at NIU-Naperville for the NIU Foundation’s second annual recognition dinner in October, where the donor recognition program was introduced. Foundation officials also honored four friends of NIU, including the Westlakes, for their commitment to the improvement of the university.   The donor recognition societies acknowledge annual gifts of $1,000 or more, cumulative lifetime gifts of $50,000 or more and all deferred gifts to the university. The societies are named after NIU landmarks and NIU’s founding figures.   “Beyond thanking donors and recognizing them for their thoughtful gifts, the donor recognition program also will provide increased communications and opportunities for involvement in university activities,” said Mallory M. Simpson, president of the NIU Foundation. “Because of donor’s involvement as alumni, volunteers and friends, our university continues to reach new milestones and achieve excellence.”   The Westlakes, along with Robert Boey, former chair of the NIU Board of Trustees, and DeKalb businessman John W. Castle all earned special recognition in a year when total gift income surpassed $12 million.   “Support of donors like the Westlakes has been a big part of NIU’s success,” said David A. Nelson, chair of the NIU Foundation Board. “I consider them members of a core group of volunteers and donors who have played an important role in making Northern what it is today.”   The Westlakes are committed NIU alumni, teachers and authors who believe in and support NIU students and programs. They have given generously over time to a variety of NIU colleges and causes, and have established and contributed to several endowed scholarships in the College of Education.   In 1999, they established the Julia Callis Morris Scholarship through the Elburn Scholarship Fund to honor their friend. In addition, they established an endowed fund for school-based liaisons within the School-University Partnership program.   Programs and students in the College of Health and Human Sciences also benefit from the generosity of the Westlakes. They endowed a scholarship for Family Life Studies that provides an annual scholarship for students who wish to become public school teachers.   “Helen and Don’s legacy of philanthropy mirrors their love of teaching and their commitment to families and healthy child development,” Simpson said. “Their philanthropy is a fitting legacy for all future NIU teachers and students touched by their generosity.”   More news ...