2011 STAR Awards Irving S. Gilmore Lifetime Achievement Winner: Reverend Louis Grother

In a partnership with the Kalamazoo Gazette, we are pleased to feature their STAR Award winner stories. To view the original of this article, please click here to be taken to the Kalamazoo Gazette’s website.

By Jef Rietsma | Special to the Kalamazoo Gazette

Photo by Jerry Campbell / Special to the Gazette

KALAMAZOO — Age hasn’t slowed the Rev. Louis Grother.

Time, in fact, only seems to inspire the Kalamazoo resident to reach out more to the homeless, the poor, the mentally ill and the downtrodden.

“There will always be a need for someone to support the people who many in society have given up on. … I consider it my duty to take the time to listen, to offer prayers and to be a part of the lives of people who don’t have anybody else,” said Grother, who will celebrate his 97th birthday this year.

In recognition of his benevolent manner, dedication to the destitute and commitment to treating all people equal, Grother has earned the lifetime achievement honor in this year’s STAR Awards.

When Pamela Post read the criterion for the Irving S. Gilmore Lifetime Achievement Award, she knew instantly that Grother was more than deserving.

In nominating Grother for the honor, one of several categories in the Sharing Time and Resources Awards, Post said Grother’s greatest gift is “his dedication to the very people that society looks down on or ignores. To these, he touches their weary souls with his love and nurturing.”

Now retired from the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital, Post remembers Grother visiting hospital patients and taking the time to talk with them. Grother still conducts a weekly chapel service at the hospital, followed by a post-chapel social event where Grother shares conversation and Scripture with the patients.

“Tuesdays are very special days for me,” Grother said. “I look forward to visiting my friends at the hospital.

“It’s probably fair to say that I get more out of spending time with them than they do with me. … I get a lot of unsolicited care and kindness in return for what I do, and that’s what brings me joy.”

Doing what is right

Although Grother is reluctant to talk about his goodwill gestures, Post is happy to provide examples of kindness and respect she witnessed between Grother and patients at the psychiatric hospital.

“He takes care to greet patients individually, with a handshake and a smile. He listens intently and gives them positive encouragement and hope,” Post wrote. “It’s really a privilege to be a part of it.”

The son of a minister and his wife, Grother was born in Paducah, Ky. He was ordained and installed as assistant pastor at First St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago in 1938. During his 11 years in Chicago, he was a frequent visitor to the sick and dying at Cook County Hospital.

In 1949, Grother accepted the post of reverend at Zion Lutheran Church in Kalamazoo. It was in Kalamazoo, Grother said, that he found his niche in life. In addition to his duties at Zion, Grother served for 20 years as chaplain to the Kalamazoo police and fire departments. He also served as chaplain at Kalamazoo College and initiated a religious education program for Lutheran students at Western Michigan University.

“The patients and workers there have been very kind to me and they always make me feel welcome,” Grother said. “I love those people very much. Those patients are very dear to me.”

Grother said he learned kindness from his parents. In addition to his father being a minister, his mother came from a family that included its share of church leaders. Grother acknowledged the Lord has been good to him.

A widower for eight years, Grother has two adopted children and six grandchildren. His children, Bill and Mary, spent their careers as teachers. His son, who is retired, worked with at-risk teens, while his daughter teaches at a reservation in New Mexico.

He beams when talking about his children.

“I can’t take credit for the good choices they made in life, but I’m awfully proud of them,” he said.

Grother said he’s humbled to win the Irving S. Gilmore Lifetime Achievement Award. As a man of the cloth, he said he’s been taught to not perform good deeds for glory or recognition.

“It was very kind of the people who had a part in this honor to think of me,” he said. “But I’d just as soon prefer to go along in life without the hurrahs and fanfare around me. I just did what was right, by going through the doors the Lord opened for me and never turned my back.”

2011 STAR Awards Youth Group Winner: Hackett Catholic Central Varsity Football Team

In a partnership with the Kalamazoo Gazette, we are pleased to feature their STAR Award winner stories. To view the original of this article, please click here to be taken to the Kalamazoo Gazette’s website.

By Chris Fusciardi | Kalamazoo Gazette

Photo by Jerry Campbell / Special to the Gazette

KALAMAZOO — Whether on the field or off, members of the Hackett Catholic Central varsity football team look for a challenge and try to come out on top.

As part of the inaugural Kalamazoo Valley Association Football Classic presented by PNC Bank, the 2010 addition of the Fighting Irish had the opportunity to win twice.

Hackett came up short on the scoreboard in its game against Parchment in August at Waldo Stadium.

Yet before the game started — and even before the players were in pads for summer workouts — members of the team turned their focus to winning the off-field competition of the Classic, where each of the 10 teams competed to see which could spend the most hours volunteering throughout the summer.

The Hackett team won with 664.5 combined hours of volunteer service, earning the school’s athletic department a $1,000 award from the Volunteer Center of Greater Kalamazoo and the team the 2011 STAR (Sharing Time and Resources) Award in the youth volunteer group category.

“At first I guess it was kind of about the competition … but then as we kept going more and more we felt like we were doing more and helping people,” said Nick Thayer, a senior wide receiver.

Most of the work involved manual labor, work for which the teenage football players were well suited. Despite the hot temperatures and juggling volunteer work with football conditioning, players readily took to their task.

“We had to do some hard work, but it was pretty much what we were looking for,” said linebacker Anthony Santoro. “It was pretty fun actually, especially for the seniors because it was our last year bonding with everyone.”

Volunteer hours were spread among 14 community organizations, with nearly 25 percent of them, or 167 hours, spent at the Peace House in Kalamazoo’s east-side neighborhood.

Another 126 hours were spent at the Comstock Community Center. “The team kind of enjoyed that one because of the whole physical labor thing that went along with it,” Eddie Martin, a senior running back/linebacker, said of the work that included pulling weeds and laying down mulch.

Peace House, a two-home community that provides kids with a safe, learning-oriented environment, provided plenty of work for the players, while allowing them to bond with the kids. “By us coming there, (the kids) were really happy when we were around and loved to play with us,” Martin said.

Players said the teamwork and camaraderie gained during their volunteer work helped once the season started. Though the team lost five of its nine games, the trying times on the field were easier to push through with the improved relationships built during the summer.

“The thing is, the kids that all work together, they stick together,” said coach Dob Drake. “These guys developed a lot of camaraderie, a lot of group concept. Hard work does that.”

Added Santoro: “The whole time we were together as a team, and if one of us was struggling, someone else would pick us up.”

2011 STAR Awards Community Leadership Winner: Bonnie Sexton

In a partnership with the Kalamazoo Gazette, we are pleased to feature their STAR Award winner stories. To view the original of this article, please click here to be taken to the Kalamazoo Gazette’s website.

By Chris Fusciardi | Kalamazoo Gazette

Photo by Fritz Klug, Kalamazoo Gazette

KALAMAZOO — Finding something to do is rarely a problem for 43-year old Bonnie Sexton.

The wife and mother of three has a full-time job and in the fall serves as the volunteer cross-country coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Kalamazoo. That alone may be plenty for most.

But Sexton isn’t most people.

An avid runner, she also has served as president or co-president of the Kalamazoo Area Runners group for five of the past six years, a period in which the organization has quadrupled in membership, making it the largest runners’ organization in the state.

In recognition of her dedication to the Kalamazoo running community, Sexton has earned a STAR (Sharing Time and Resources) Award in the category of Community Leadership.

“We are a pretty large, very complex organization,” Sexton said of KAR, which had just more than 200 members when she joined in 2003. “It very much evolved from an organization run by a five- or six-person board to 30 to 40 people running things.”

Today, KAR totals nearly 900 members. That growth is a result of the commitment and leadership Sexton has displayed since she came on board, said Blaine Lam, a KAR member and one of the early leaders of KAR’s predecessor, the Kalamazoo Track Club, more than 30 years ago.

“The things that have made her a good runner — which are passion, drive and discipline — have served her very well in community leadership,” Lam said.

“She is absolutely tireless in taking care of organizational details. But at the same time, she has set up a leadership structure that has allowed others to get involved and helped grow KAR.”

Sexton has been key in developing or directing many Kalamazoo area races and training programs.

She has taken a leadership role in growing the Kalamazoo Klassic, serving on the race’s planning committee, and was a driving force in the creation of this year’s inaugural Kalamazoo Marathon, serving on the advisory council.

Running a 5K or marathon isn’t something most people jump into. To better prepare runners, Sexton helped create training programs for different abilities and distances. She serves as program director for the KAR Beyond Marathon Training winter program and founded the summer Fast Track 5K training program geared toward runners with less experience.

“We wanted to do more for beginners and beginning distances,” Sexton said. “We saw it as an opportunity for growth for us.”

Hoping to instill a love of running in children, Sexton also spends time working on youth programs at the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo and helps coordinate Easter and Halloween family runs and events.

These programs, in conjunction with other local training programs such as Gazelle Sports Summer Safari and the Borgess Run Camp, have helped connect the running community in Kalamazoo.

“The Kalamazoo running community works very well together,” Sexton said. “It is a very cooperative running community, and it has helped everybody.”

Sexton realized most runners are interested in more than just pounding the pavement on their own. So she helped organize group runs throughout Greater Kalamazoo, which provide training partners to runners while improving stamina and bringing runners together.

“I think what it does is connect people,” Sexton said. “It’s not just about the running; it’s about the relationships formed through the running.”

2011 STAR Award Family Group Winner: Madison & Malia Nichols

In a partnership with the Kalamazoo Gazette, we are pleased to feature their STAR Award winner stories. To view the original of this article, please click here to be taken to the Kalamazoo Gazette’s website.

By Rebecca Roe | Kalamazoo Gazette

SCOTTS — Life has had its fair share of challenges for 12-year-old twins Madison and Malia Nichols.

The girls were born blind due to congenital glaucoma and both received cornea transplants when they were a few months old. Madison needed multiple transplants in the same eye to keep her eyesight.

Despite their difficulties, the twins realized a long time ago they could use their story to help people and inspire and educate the public about eye, organ and tissue donation. Last year, the girls volunteered 500 hours with the Michigan Eye-Bank.

“I do it so that we can help people,” Madison said. “We go in front of crowds and do speeches and sign our book.”
She said her favorite part of volunteering is getting people to sign up for a donor list.
At the age of 9, the girls wrote and illustrated “The Blind Porcupine,” which tells the story of their cornea transplant operations from their perspective and promotes organ donation. The book has 6,000 copies in circulation around the state.

Malia said she and her sister have been volunteering for two years and she looks forward to volunteering in the future because she wants to help change peoples’ lives.
In recognition of their work, Madison and Malia have earned a STAR Award in the category of Family Volunteer Group. The girls were nominated by Lisa Langley, executive director of Michigan Eye-Bank.

“I would have to say that Madison and Malia are willing to give of themselves repeatedly because they value their vision,” Langley said.

When the girls get up on a stage or in front of an audience they open up, Langley said. They love to read, write, draw and illustrate.
Langley is grateful for all the twins and their parents have given to the Michigan Eye-Bank.
“They have done more for this organization than probably all of our 500 volunteers combined,” she said. “They never say no, and we’ve asked them on multiple occasions to go to events or speak, and they’ve even done things on their own without us asking. They’re an incredible family to know.”

Any time anyone is willing to share their story about how the gift of sight has made a difference in their life, it leads to the opportunity for someone else to perhaps get that same gift, Langley said.
“In other words, every time they speak about the transplants that they’ve received, it encourages people to think about perhaps joining the Michigan Organ Donor Registry,” she said.

Madison and Malia volunteer predominantly with the Michigan Eye-Bank, acting as ambassadors, giving speeches and even holding garage sales to raise money for the organization. But they also have volunteered on behalf of a number of Lions clubs around the state, as well. They also attend group meetings, conventions and conferences for medical examiners and other groups that could help to promote the gift of sight.

Although the sisters’ cornea transplants have enabled them to see, they still face challenges to maintain their sight.
Every week they travel to the Kellogg Eye Center in Ann Arbor for checkups and to relieve any pressure build-up in their eyes. When major problems with their vision occur, the girls travel to North Carolina for extensive care.
Madison has undergone numerous cornea transplants and continues to fight vision loss.
Heather Nichols, the twin’s mother, is very proud of her daughters.

“I think they’re amazing for everything they’ve been through — and then to move on and try to help other people,” she said.

Day of Service: Downtown Clean-up

Join us for one or all of our community-wide Days of Service! Next up….

When: Friday, April 22nd, 9a.m.-noon, noon-3p.m.
(attend for both shifts and join us for lunch!)

Where: Downtown Kalamazoo

Why: We can accomplish so much more together!  With a variety of other agency partners, the Volunteer Center seeks to improve the community and engage more citizens in volunteering: rookies, veterans, adults, youth and all in between. We invite you to sign-up, show up and make a difference with us!

This Day of Service is a collaboration with the Kalamazoo Neighborhood Safety Initiative to engage volunteers of all ages in positive change in our neighborhoods and organizations.

Register online (pre-registration is required; registration ends at noon on Thursday, April 21)

Project Description

Downtown Clean-Up

Join us for a beautification and clean-up throughout Downtown Kalamazoo, just in time for Earth Day! Supplies are provided, but work attire that can get dirty is recommended. Volunteers under the age of 18 are welcome, but must be volunteering with an adult.

Please note: DKI will validate parking for ALL downtown ramps (Eleanor St/Arcadia ramp, Kalamazoo Mall ramp or Epic Center ramp) except the Radisson for volunteers.

2011 STAR Award Young Adult Winner: Andrea Zerilli

In a partnership with the Kalamazoo Gazette, we are pleased to feature their STAR Award winner stories. To view the original of this article, please click here to be taken to the Kalamazoo Gazette’s website.

By Chris Fusciardi | Kalamazoo Gazette

KALAMAZOO — Off and on for years, Andrea Zerilli would volunteer to help with local Special Olympians.

She enjoyed working with the participants and talked about organizing other events, such as a pageant. But the ideas never materialized.

That changed when Zerilli — then Andrea Hernandez — was crowned Miss Michigan U.S. Beauties 2010 and “people finally started to listen to me,” she said.

Last June, Zerilli, 26, coordinated the first Miss and Mr. I Am A Star Pageant, an event she pushed for as part of her pageant platform. The event featured nine children and young adults with spe­cial needs, who performed in front of family and friends.

In recognition of her work in orga­nizing and running the pageant, Zerilli has earned a STAR Award in the cat­egory of Young Adult Volunteer.

“I think it was a chance for them to show something that they can do,” Zerilli said. “I know a lot of times kids with disabilities hear about all the things they can’t do.

“For this, everyone was on the same page and they were in the spotlight, and I think it really gave them some confidence.”

Zerilli put in a lot of work to make the event happen. First, she secured a location for the pageant, which was held at the Kalamazoo Program and Training Center of Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan on Maple Street.

Then she began working with each participant, setting up times when they could practice their routines.

It was a balancing act, as Zerilli had other responsibilities, including the classes she teaches for dance, modeling and baton.

“I’ve always been involved in a lot of activities as a kid and all through college,” she said. “If I didn’t have a lot of things going on, I would probably be depressed.”

With a wide range of abilities among the nine participants, Zerilli had to assist in creating a routine each individual could perform.

Michael Behm, Zerilli’s 16-year-old nephew, has Down syndrome and participated in the pageant. Michael’s mother, Cathy, said Zerilli met with them several times to help her son work to perfect his dance number for the event.

“She worked with him, she worked with me, and she even, for some of the kids, put video on the computer so they could watch it and remember it,” Cathy Behm said.

It was important to make each participant feel safe and comfortable with their routine, Zerilli said. After each participant completed their performance in front of the audience of about 100 people, Zerilli handed each contestant a crown, sash and trophy.

It was a smashing success.

“Me being a parent, it just melted my heart,” Behm said. “I was crying, my husband was crying. It made me feel good because it made my son feel good.”

That was Zerilli’s goal.

“I think they just felt like superstars, and that’s not something that happens to everyone every day,” she said.

“I know it is a confidence boost, too. Sometimes at school, they are walking around and trying to hide, and at this event that was the last thing they were trying to do. They were shining.”

Zerilli already is planning the second annual Miss and Mr. I Am A Star Pageant, which is scheduled to take place in August.

Day of Service: Downtown Clean-up

Join us for one or all of our community-wide Days of Service! Next up….

When: Friday, April 22nd, 9a.m.-noon, noon-3p.m.
(attend for both shifts and join us for lunch!)

Where: Downtown Kalamazoo

Why: We can accomplish so much more together!  With a variety of other agency partners, the Volunteer Center seeks to improve the community and engage more citizens in volunteering: rookies, veterans, adults, youth and all in between. We invite you to sign-up, show up and make a difference with us!

This Day of Service is a collaboration with the Kalamazoo Neighborhood Safety Initiative to engage volunteers of all ages in positive change in our neighborhoods and organizations.

Register online (pre-registration is required; registration ends at noon on Thursday, April 21)

Project Description

Downtown Clean-Up

Join us for a beautification and clean-up throughout Downtown Kalamazoo, just in time for Earth Day! Supplies are provided, but work attire that can get dirty is recommended. Volunteers under the age of 18 are welcome, but must be volunteering with an adult.

Please note: DKI will validate parking for ALL downtown ramps (Eleanor St/Arcadia ramp, Kalamazoo Mall ramp or Epic Center ramp) except the Radisson for volunteers.

Community Volunteer Fair at the Air Zoo

Visit the Air Zoo for a Volunteer Fair and learn about volunteer opportunities at many different organizations!

The Air Zoo is located at 6151 Portage Rd, Portage, MI

Call 269.350.2815 for more information.