The Kankakee County Relay’s Event Leadership Team has selected Theodis Pace to serve as their honorary chair for the Relay for Life of Kankakee County, presented by Riverside Healthcare and Riverside Cancer Institute. It will be held at Bishop McNamara Catholic School on June 8, from 2 – 10 p.m. This year’s theme is Every Cancer. Every Life!
Mr. Pace holds a Master’s Degree in Education Administration and Supervision from Purdue University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Lane College, Jackson, Tennessee. He has three children and is a retired employee of the State of Illinois, Department of Human Services, as a Public Service Administrator.
His community involvement includes: Twenty-nine years as president of the Kankakee County Branch NAACP, former Exalted Ruler of the Greater Kankakee Elks Lodge #1753, former board member – Illinois Association of Minority in Government, athletic director and coach – Kankakee Eastside Junior Football League (47 years), member of the Kankakee County Jury Commission and the Iroquois-Kankakee Education to Careers Partnership Committee, panel member – Kankakee Area Community Advisory Committee, former member – Kankakee Planning Commission, member of Morning Star Baptist Church, former president – River Valley Special Recreation Association, former vice president – Kankakee Valley Park District Board of Commissioners, mentor – Career Health Academy of Medical Profession, member – Citizens for Children Rights Committees, former member – National Points for Lights Foundation Advisory Board, YMCA Pioneering and Healthy Community Board, and Kankakee County Renewed Opportunity Board, and board member – Kankakee County Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Kankakee County Economic Alliance.
Among his honors are Y’s Men’s Club Community Service Youth Award, Kankakee Junior Service League Outstanding Volunteer of the Year in Sport and Recreation, National Jaycees Outstanding Young Men of America Award (OYM), and the NAACP President’s Award for Outstanding Community Service, 2012 NAACP Region III Roland Alexander President of Year and 2012 NAACP Region III Roy Wilkins Man of the Year Award. Pace’s greatest challenge was being the first African American to be a viable candidate for the Office of Mayor for the City of Kankakee.
He has been a member of the NAACP for as long as he can remember and always has been a believer and fighter for justice. Before becoming president, he served as a member of the Legal Redress Committee. In 1994, he became president of the Kankakee County Branch of the NAACP. At that time, the membership was low, and meetings were not being held regularly. His vision and hard work with the Kankakee Branch are his outstanding contribution to the NAACP.
Theodis is a selfless, proven volunteer. His service to many organizations in the Kankakee community show his commitment to his community and to people of all ages. He is a very hard worker, a strong and effective leader, and is professional in his leadership style. He always is thinking of ways he can make the NAACP the best it could ever be. Mr. Pace is an avid daily reader of several news media sources both local and national. Whenever there is a mandate from national office, President Pace is aware and begins the process of planning some activity that will address the mandate and make sure our community is informed. Theodis has been a team member of the N.A.A.C.P. Relay team for 15+ years.
The Relay for Life of Kankakee County is a community event. Teams and individuals set up campsites at a school and take turns walking around a track, with cancer survivors and caregivers taking a celebratory first lap during the opening ceremony. Teams raise money in the months before the event, as well at the event. In 2023, there were more than 400 people who participated in the Relay For Life of Kankakee County, while raising $237,000.
For information about the Relay For Life of Kankakee County, presented by Riverside Healthcare and Riverside Cancer Institute, visit relayforlife.org/kankakeeil or contact Michelle Pruitt (ACS Staff Partner) at 708-384-2807 or michelle.pruitt@cancer.org.