80 Faces of Marquette Bank: Celebrating 15 Years of Evelyn's Walk

This year marks the event’s 15th anniversary where bank employees along with friends and family of Evelyn “Susie” Schap come together to remember her and support research and awareness for pancreatic cancer.

Evelyn Schap was a Senior Vice President of Marketing who worked at Marquette Bank from the late 90s until she retired in 2009. Evelyn had been a female trailblazer, working in the early days of Chicago’s fast-paced advertising industry. Evelyn had a fiery personality, was proud of her Greek heritage, and always enjoyed entertaining. She would regularly host events, bake sweets and organize dinners with former coworkers, family, friends or her bank employees.

Within a year of retirement, Evelyn was diagnosed with and passed away from an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. That same year, Nina Sonsikoski who had worked for Evelyn in the marketing department, also tragically lost her father to pancreatic cancer. Driven to take action, Nina organized the first Evelyn’s Walk.

In July, a total of 65 people came together for the walk in Orland Park followed by refreshments consisting of gyros (celebrating Evelyn’s Greek heritage) and Evelyn’s famous Triple Chocolate Cake (see her recipe below). A total of $2,000 was donated to Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation who has been a partner of the walk since it started. The foundation generously provided the participants with a special commemorative T-shirt marking Evelyn’s Walk 15th Anniversary.
 

Here is what Evelyn’s family members had to say about the event:

“Evelyn’s Walk is a heartfelt event where family and friends come together to honor the vibrant spirit of our beloved aunt Susie, who cherished celebrating life and uniting loved ones. She always enjoyed getting people together.”

“We gather to remember her warmth and generosity, reflecting on the joy she brought to our lives, from hosting Thanksgiving gatherings to her dedication at Marquette Bank. Evelyn really enjoyed working at the bank, she loved leading the marketing team at Marquette Bank and she cherished everyone she worked with.”

“We are grateful to Marquette Bank and Nina Sonsikoski for organizing this annual tribute, allowing us to celebrate Evelyn's legacy while supporting pancreatic cancer research.”

Evelyn’s Walk is part of the bank’s Marquette Neighborhood Commitment, an initiative that helps nonprofits and communities in critical areas of need including shelter/housing, hunger, education and health/wellness. Each month the bank volunteers, performs service projects and supports organizations in these areas of need. The initiative has been recognized with an Excellence and Innovation Award from the Community Bankers Association of Illinois (CBAI) and a Community Commitment Award for Volunteerism by the American Bankers Association (ABA) Foundation.