MOOSEHEART, IL, Feb. 24 -- Sometimes the rewards for getting good grades manifest themselves in ways students may not have realized.

Thirteen of Mooseheart's academic achievers were recently rewarded for their in-school success with brand new iPod Shuffle portable media players, which had been donated by New York-based LEK Security Corporation to the Chicago offices of Optiver US, LLC. The presentations were made in the Fieldhouse in front of the entire student body and Mooseheart staff at the school's Feb. 17 Community Picnic -- a monthly buffet lunch during which various awards, honors and recognition are typically announced.

"It was such a nice and generous gift that we wanted to make sure we spread it around through the middle school and the high school," Mooseheart Superintendent of Education Gary Urwiler said. "We wanted to make sure we recognized those students who academically excel in our program.

The top student academically in sixth grade and the top two students in both seventh and eighth grade, as well as the top two students academically in each high-school class received an iPod. Recipients were: Krystal Ellsworth, Basheeba Mays, Sean Mayland, Martin Gutierrez, Jordan Holler, Bridge Towalid, Erick Ontiveros, Nezra McCarty, Tabby Gorrell, Paul Flores, Jen-ni Serrano, Monica Gutierrez and Terrance Giacomo.

"This is one of those areas that is easily overlooked, because the students are doing what we expect of them," Urwiler said. "We just found that this was a great way, in front of our entire community, to let people see them and reward them for their efforts with regard to their academic success.

Optiver US, LLC received the iPods as part LEK Security Corp., and had some left over, said Julie Bizer, who is the Facilities Manager at Optiver.

"They wanted to donate them to a worthy organization and I mentioned Mooseheart," Bizer said.

Bizer was familiar with Mooseheart through her role in the Northern Illinois Chapter of the International Facility Managers Association (IMFA). Bizer is currently the president of that chapter, which includes as a member Mooseheart Facilities Manager Keith Stutz.

"Two years ago, we had an IMFA meeting at Mooseheart," Strutz said. "We gave everyone a tour. Ever since that tour, a lot of people know of Mooseheart and love what we do here."

Bizer said IMFA has more generosity in store for Mooseheart.

"We chose two organizations for the year that we will be supporting as we are doing charitable things," Bizer said. "One of them is Mooseheart."

Strutz said there is a goodwill donation at every IMFA meeting, and those monies will be split between Mooseheart and Aspire of Illinois, which provides services for developmentally disabled children. Strutz said there is also a golf tournament that serves as an organizational fundraiser.

"He (Strutz) is a member, and we felt we should give to 'our own' first," Bizer said.

Mooseheart Child City & School is a 1,000-acre community and school for children and teens in need of a secure home, located just south of Batavia, IL, between Illinois Route 31 and Randall Road.

Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations - the great majority of which come from the 1.1 million men and women of the Moose fraternal organization, in more than 1,900 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters located throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus.

Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten-through-high-school academic program, plus art, music, vocational training and interscholastic sports. It is an extremely nurturing and student-tailored program, with an average student-teacher ratio of 12-1.

Mooseheart students who complete their studies with a 3.0 GPA or better (4.0=A) are eligible for up to five years of annually renewable scholarship funding, covering tuition, room and board in an amount comparable to that required for an in-state student at an Illinois public university.

Mooseheart is currently home to nearly 250 students, ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors. Applications for admission to Mooseheart are considered from any family whose children are, for whatever reason, lacking a stable home environment. Mooseheart boasts its own U.S. Post Office and a fully functioning branch of Fifth Third Bank.

In addition to Mooseheart, Moose International also supports Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community near Jacksonville, FL founded in 1922; and conducts more than $90 million worth of community service programs annually.

Founded in 1888, the Moose organization has long offered its members an opportunity to do good for others while celebrating life, with family, social, and sporting activities. For more information on the Moose organization, visit the websites at www.mooseintl.org , www.mooseheart.org., www.moosehaven.org, or call 630-966-2229.