{"id":34208,"date":"2026-04-01T10:38:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T15:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/?p=34208"},"modified":"2026-04-01T10:38:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T15:38:32","slug":"community-foundation-recognizes-blake-laura-linders-as-outstanding-philanthropists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/local-news\/34208-community-foundation-recognizes-blake-laura-linders-as-outstanding-philanthropists\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Foundation Recognizes Blake, Laura Linders as Outstanding Philanthropists"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pdfprnt-buttons pdfprnt-buttons-post pdfprnt-top-right\"><a href=\"javascript: window.print()\" class=\"pdfprnt-button pdfprnt-button-print\" target=\"_self\" ><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-print\/images\/print.png\" alt=\"image_print\" title=\"Print Content\" \/><span class=\"pdfprnt-button-title pdfprnt-button-print-title\">Print<\/span><\/a><\/div><p>The Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation (SICF) is proud to announce Blake and Laura Linders as the recipients of the Richard C. Siemer Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year Award, recognizing their exceptional generosity, leadership, and commitment to strengthening the Effingham community.<\/p>\n<p>The Richard C. Siemer Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year Award honors individuals whose dedication to giving back has made a lasting impact across Southeastern Illinois. Named in honor of Richard C. Siemer, the award celebrates those who embody the true spirit of philanthropy through their time, talents, and resources.<\/p>\n<p>For Blake and Laura Linders, philanthropy is not about recognition, it is a way of life. \u201cWe were deeply honored,\u201d they shared. \u201cPhilanthropy is something we\u2019ve always felt is very important, so to be recognized for something we see as a fundamental part of being in a community is incredibly humbling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Linders have demonstrated a deep commitment to supporting initiatives that strengthen the community they proudly call home. Their giving reflects a belief in investing in others and creating opportunities that benefit future generations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is very special to us because it reflects the values we try to live by\u2014giving back, supporting others, and investing in the community that has given us so much,\u201d they said. \u201cWe\u2019ve loved living in Effingham and raising our family here\u2026 we feel incredibly fortunate to be able to return the favor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Their perspective on philanthropy speaks to the heart of what the award represents. \u201cIt means recognizing that we all play a role in strengthening our community and choosing to contribute in ways that lift others up,\u201d they shared. \u201cIt\u2019s about showing up, caring deeply, and using whatever resources you have\u2014whether that be time, talent, or funds\u2014to help others.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Through their generosity and leadership, the Linders exemplify the impact that individuals can have when they invest in their community. \u201cIt\u2019s what makes Effingham so special,\u201d they added. \u201cWe\u2019ve always said it\u2019s a great place to live, and it\u2019s because of the generosity you see everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Linders embody the spirit of this award,\u201d said Alex Pleasant, President and CEO of the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation. \u201cTheir commitment to giving back and strengthening their community reflects the very best of philanthropy in Southeastern Illinois.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation is honored to recognize Blake and Laura Linders for their meaningful contributions and lasting impact. Their story serves as an inspiration to others and highlights the power of generosity to shape strong, vibrant communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation (SICF) is proud to announce Blake and Laura Linders as the recipients of the Richard C. Siemer Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year Award, recognizing their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2916,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Community Foundation Recognizes Blake, Laura Linders as Outstanding Philanthropists - Effingham&#039;s News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Effingham&#039;s News and Sports Leader\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/local-news\/34208-community-foundation-recognizes-blake-laura-linders-as-outstanding-philanthropists\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Community Foundation Recognizes Blake, Laura Linders as Outstanding Philanthropists - 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