WHEELING – Legendary entertainer Pat Boone, spokesman for the national non-partisan senior citizen group the 60 Plus Association, announced today that Illinois 18th District State Senate GOP candidate Barbara Bellar has earned the group’s Honorary Guardian of Seniors’ Rights award.
In a statement released by 60 Plus, Boone remarked, “I’m still singing at concerts, but today I’m singing the praises of Barbara Bellar. Seniors can depend on Barbara Bellar.” Boone, 78, and his wife of 57 years, Shirley, reside in Beverly Hills, California.
Boone is familiar to audiences as a star of music, film and television. Boone has had 38 top-ten hits since his recording career began in the 1950s, and, according to Billboard magazine, holds the record for the most consecutive weeks (220) on the charts by any performer.
Chairman Jim Martin, who founded the 60 Plus Association in 1992, was personally on hand today in Wheeling to present Dr. Bellar the award. Wheeling is the second Illinois stop on the 60 Plus bus tour that began in Florida, with stops in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and now Illinois, continuing to Wisconsin, Minnesota and eventually ending back in Florida.
Martin added, “Barbara Bellar can be counted on to look out for seniors. She’ll work to protect the pocket books of senior citizens and end the wasteful spending of our tax dollars, which has our federal government now borrowing over 40 cents of every dollar to pay its bills. Seniors have to live within their means and so should our government.”
The Association’s Guardian Award is presented to Democrats and Republicans based on their “senior friendly” voting records. The honorary award is given to those running for office and is based on their views on issues of importance to seniors. Previous recipients include Republican Senator Mark Steven Kirk, as well as Republican Reps. Bobby Schilling, Timothy Johnson and Adam Kinzinger. Democrat recipients include U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA).
Dr. Bellar is a physician, a lawyers, serves in the Army Reserves and was a Jesuit nun earlier in her life. She is running for the 18th Senate District in the southwest suburbs. She received the United Republican Fund's endorsement earlier this week. She's challenging Democrat Bill Cunningham.
