Mahomet Chamber Award Winners
Business of the Year–P&P Heating and Cooling
Emerging Business of the Year–Core Concepts
Community Impact–The Open Room
Ann Paul Community Servant–Mark Kesler
Lyn Ferdinand Volunteer of the Year–Michael Hernandez
Ambassador of the Year–George Schoonover
NOTE: The Mahomet Daily will feature each of these winners in upcoming days.
By FRED KRONER
George Schoonover is one Mahomet resident many folks don’t know that they know.
They know about him, or at least about his home, by the way it is magnificently decorated and brilliantly lit up each holiday season. It’s affectionately referred to as the Clark Griswold Residence.
The displays are so elaborate that it generally takes Schoonover and his faithful volunteers parts of two months to get set up. The lights are turned on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Three years ago, there was a request to turn the lights on early for a young child who would be undergoing surgery and wouldn’t be around to enjoy the lights during the traditional part of the season.
“As a family, they have it planned out (how much time is needed),” Mahomet fire chief John Koller said. “We went to George and said, ‘We’ll help.’
“He never hesitated.”
Lucas Schoonover has been part of the cadre of workers who annually assist his father.
“It generally takes eight weeks,” Lucas Schoonover said. “Corn Belt sent out several guys and we did it in 2 ½ weeks.”
It’s part of the tender, caring and compassionate side of George Schoonover which is not always readily apparent.
“He’s a man of few words,” Lucas Schoonover said.
And yet, when it comes to helping others, his actions speak louder than words.
“He knows his efforts will make someone smile,” Lucas Schoonover.
On Thursday night (March 31), George Schoonover had another reason to smile.
At the annual Mahomet Area Chamber of Commerce awards banquet at the Champaign Holiday Inn, he was recognized as the community’s Ambassador of the Year.
It’s recognition bestowed upon an individual who helps make Mahomet a better place by his or her actions, time and efforts.
Koller recalled how the entire Schoonover family went above and beyond the call of duty for the special lights display.
“George and Dixie (his wife for nearly 45 years) greeted the little girl, had hot chocolate, and Santa was there,” Koller said. “It was really touching.”
Touching, yes. Unexpected, no.
“George is someone who everyone, myself included, looks up to as a great example for the community for how he handles himself,” Koller said. “He is a shining example of what it means to be a wonderful human being.”
At the outset, the Schoonovers never imagined the Christmas lights display would make their street an annual destination spot for out-of-towners.
“We started by putting lights on a few bushes,” George Schoonover said, “and it got bigger each year.
“People come back every year and it lifts your spirits and makes you want to do it every year.”
Expansion has been part of the process.
“Now we’re in two yards,” George Schoonover said. “We own the house north of us.”
Lucas Schoonover has followed in his father’s footsteps running Schoonover’s Sewer Service. He learned more than how to do the business from his father.
“To sum him up, it would be, ‘don’t lie, don’t cheat and don’t steal,’” Lucas Schoonover said. “He runs one of the most honest businesses there is in the area.
“He set the tone with his work ethic and started a 24-hour business, which he had to learn along the way.”
Before he opened Schoonover’s 37 years ago, George Schoonover spent 16 years working for Roto Rooter.
“He took out a small-business loan (in 1985) and was able to pay it back in a few months,” Lucas Schoonover said. “People knew if they gave him an issue to resolve, they could trust him to get it done, and to get service with a smile.”
Some things never change.
Koller said George Schoonover is one of the rare people who is sincere in his greetings.
“George is the kind of guy who, when he asks, ‘How’s it going,’ he genuinely wants to know,” Koller said. “He’s always pleasant, happy, kind and caring.
“There’s so much that he does which goes unnoticed.”
Schoonover’s path hasn’t always been an easy one.
When he dropped out of school in Urbana, he was unsure what to do.
“I started in the sewer business at 16 with Roto Rooter,” he said. “My brother was working there, and I kept on going.”
He eventually finished his GED after moving to Mahomet in 1974. Since 1976, he has lived in the same house on Timberview Drive.
He and his family have stayed for one reason.
“I love the people,” Schoonover said. “They were always there for me and still are to this day.
“This community has been great to me and always has been.”
George Schoonover is not someone who is motivated by seeking recognition for himself.
“He’s not an ‘I’ kind of person,” Lucas Schoonover said. “My dad keeps it simple and doesn’t boast.
“He goes to the same coffee house and will probably wear the same jeans tomorrow as today. He’s a guy who will try to put a smile on your face.”
Koller has witnessed that frequently.
“If we’re out washing the trucks and he’s driving by, he will stop and say, ‘Hi,’” Koller said.
The trait of not seeking credit is one that has been passed down in the family.
Lucas Schoonover and his friend, Jason Ishcomber, played an instrumental role in the Corn Belt awards banquet last year.
“They supplied all of the food and did the bar-be-que,” Koller said.
Lucas Schoonover looked it as merely an opportunity to give back.
“Bar-be-que is our passion,” he said. “They’ve helped me out and we have a good rapport with them.”
Lucas Schoonover recognizes the magnitude of the honor bestowed upon his father.
“There are how many people who make Mahomet better,” Lucas Schoonover said. “He is one small piece, but the kind of person you can build a community around.
“The last couple of years, he has dedicated himself to my mom as she fights cancer. But that’s what he has always done, leading by example and being there for others.”
