STAR_2008winners

Click here to view a historical list of all STAR Award recipients.

STAR Awards 2008 Breakfast Program
Rebecca Pierce, Editor, Kalamazoo Gazette presents Fred Davis with the Career category STAR Award. Share in the excitement of our program by reading her presentation comments for each of the STAR Award recipients listed below.

To view the program video and read featured Kalamazoo Gazette articles about each STAR Award Winner please click here.

Congratulations!
2008 STAR Award Winners

IRVING S. GILMORE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Jack Hopkins
This man may be retiring in July after 25 years as president and CEO of Kalamazoo County's leading philanthropic organization, but he's not retiring from the Kalamazoo community. And that's one blessing we can add to our list today. For 30 years, he has given his time, talent and treasure to more than 30 local organizations. He and his wife serve meals at Ministry with Community, a downtown day program for the poor and homeless; he provides his expertise and leadership to the boards of the Local Initiatives Support Corp., a community-development organization; Read more

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Richard Atwell
People catch more than 3 million rides to work, stores, doctors' appointments and elsewhere on Kalamazoo Metro Transit buses and vans each year, but very few could tell you anything about Richard Atwell. No one else over the last decade has given the same level of volunteer leadership for public transit here as this man, who also has played a key role in setting the course for expanding public transit's reach across Kalamazoo County. "He led the process of establishing the Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority from an idea into reality," said Carol Ficke. Read more

CAREER VOLUNTEER
Fred Davis
This volunteer is a man who likes to share his talents. He's an all-around volunteer handyman at the Comstock Community Center, Borgess Fitness Center and First Presbyterian Church in Richland. As a World War II veteran who served as an infantryman in the South Pacific, he also talks about his wartime experiences at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, where he also does some carpentry work. And he volunteers at blood drives for the American Red Cross. All of this he does at the age of 84 - and after undergoing open heart surgery about eight years ago. "I enjoy doing something for others," Read more

VOLUNTEER FAMILY
Oram-Proudfoot Family
He had just undergone open-heart surgery and was suffering from lymphedema, a buildup of fluid in the soft tissues of the body. Bandages and other medical supplies were scattered about the family's home in Portage as he recuperated. Looking at all that stuff led his wife to a thought - a thought about the needs of American troops serving in Iraq. "I told myself, 'I'm sure there's a medic or hospital over there that can put them to good use,'" she said. That was when the seeds were planted for Read more

SENIOR VOLUNTEER
Chris Bartley
It was a sign of her love for Woods Lake Park as she marked the native plants she'd planted with a lime green ribbon. As she walked the footpath along the lake, she also picked up trash and pulled garlic mustard, a non-native plant that grows abundantly around Woods Lake. This volunteer has spent the past three years restoring Woods Lake Park. But she isn't just cleaning up and improving the park for herself. By making it more beautiful, she hopes it will attract more people. "I really want people in Kalamazoo to know this park is something special," she said. "I really feel that it's essential for people to connect in the community." Read more

ADULT VOLUNTEER
Ann Maguire
Westwood Little League was broke. Its coffers had been drained in 2005 and 2006 by a former board member who later went to jail for embezzling nearly $18,000. The league was $12,000 in debt and the 2007 season was in doubt. So this parent set about making certain a 51st season for the Kalamazoo league would come off for the children. "She really took the whole thing on her shoulders," said a league board member. "Without her, I doubt the Westwood Little League would even be here." She organized teams, found coaches and sponsors, and had uniforms made. Read more

ADULT VOLUNTEER GROUP
Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes
Last year, this group of volunteers delivered one million pounds of food to the pantries of 20 faith-based organizations and other agencies that provide fresh vegetables and non-perishable items to families in need. The group was founded 26 years ago and has 375 volunteers who logged a combined 10,900 hours in 2007. They take donations of both food and money, and the community's response to its annual fundraisers is consistently generous. They are especially proud of their backpack program Read more

ADULT VOLUNTEER GROUP
AT&T TelecomPioneers
Members of this local volunteer group enjoy the anonymity of their community service. As their leader explained, they "stay under the radar." But they've been in existence since 1911 and they plan to be around for many more years. The Kalamazoo chapter of this group boasts 600 members, who performed more than 9,100 hours of volunteer service in 2007. One service the group performs is "Home Instead - Be a Santa to a Senior." A man affiliated with Home Instead Senior Care nominated this group. Read more

COLLEGE VOLUNTEER
Jackie Luedtke
After this young woman graduated from high school in Frankfort, Mich., she decided to wait a year before going to college. But it wasn't for rest and relaxation. She spent most of that year in Mississippi volunteering with AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps to construct homes for people living in FEMA trailers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Sawing beams, putting up siding, giving orientation sessions to new workers and feeding hungry volunteers just confirmed what she wants to do. "I knew when I graduated from high school that I wanted to find a way to help people, but I didn't  Read more

COLLEGE VOLUNTEER GROUP
Drive Safe Kalamazoo
Every Thursday through Saturday from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., these volunteers take calls from Western Michigan University students who need rides home. While their drivers are out and about until the wee hours of the morning, anything can happen. They might have trouble finding the person who called for a ride, occasionally the passenger gets sick in the car or something is said that's downright funny. No matter what happens, they get their passengers home safely - and they keep their memories jotted down in a
"drunk-and-sober quote book." "It's absolutely the funnest volunteering you'll ever have in your entire life because you never know what you're getting youself into," Read more

YOUNG ADULT VOLUNTEER
Josh Haas
On weekdays, this young man is a software tester for Defense Logistics Information Serrvice. On weekends, he's a volunteer at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. The Bird of Prey program is his specialty, but it wasn't until he started volunteering at the Kalamazoo Nature Center more than three years ago that he discovered his great interest in hawks. "Working with these powerful animals gave me a newfound love; these birds," he says. He started by going in on Sundays to clean cages, feed the birds, work with the animals and create programs. Read more

YOUTH VOLUNTEER
Jenna Sheets
This Plainwell High School senior devoted hundreds of hours last year volunteering for a variety of organizations, focusing on helping young teens and working with needy families. Her work for TeenHEART, a student-leadership program that helps middle-school students resist negative peer pressure, illustrates some of the essential characteristics that make her an outstanding role model and mentor to younger teens. "I'm not that far away from being in middle school myself, and I think that helps me reach them," said the 17-year-old honor student. "When kids hear another kid talk  Read more

YOUTH VOLUNTEER GROUP
Kalamazoo Central High School Activists for Action
"You will probably find this group of dedicated students leading the charge for change wherever positive things are happening," said Patricia Carlin, the high school teacher and counselor who nominated this student-organized, student-run group. Every Wednesday after school, about 20 students meet to do a weekly recycling pickup. They pull out the tall, blue recycling dumpsters and divide into pairs, each taking a separate wing of the building. These students came together because they share a common concern for their environment - and they want others to care, too. Read more

Home | About Us | Volunteers | Teens | Nonprofits | Recognition | News & Events | Contact Us


	*Click here to view a historical list of all STAR Award recipients.*
	STAR Awards 2008 Breakfast Program Rebecca Pierce, Editor, Kalamazoo Gazette presents Fred Davis with the Career category STAR Award. Share in the excitement of our program by reading her presentation comments for each of the STAR Award recipients listed below. To view the program video and read featured Kalamazoo Gazette articles about each STAR Award Winner please click here.

Congratulations!	2008 STAR Award Winners
	IRVING S. GILMORE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Jack Hopkins This man may be retiring in July after 25 years as president and CEO of Kalamazoo County's leading philanthropic organization, but he's not retiring from the Kalamazoo community. And that's one blessing we can add to our list today. For 30 years, he has given his time, talent and treasure to more than 30 local organizations. He and his wife serve meals at Ministry with Community, a downtown day program for the poor and homeless; he provides his expertise and leadership to the boards of the Local Initiatives Support Corp., a community-development organization; Read more
	COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP *Richard Atwell* People catch more than 3 million rides to work, stores, doctors' appointments and elsewhere on Kalamazoo Metro Transit buses and vans each year, but very few could tell you anything about Richard Atwell. No one else over the last decade has given the same level of volunteer leadership for public transit here as this man, who also has played a key role in setting the course for expanding public transit's reach across Kalamazoo County. "He led the process of establishing the Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority from an idea into reality," said Carol Ficke. Read more
	CAREER VOLUNTEER *Fred Davis* This volunteer is a man who likes to share his talents. He's an all-around volunteer handyman at the Comstock Community Center, Borgess Fitness Center and First Presbyterian Church in Richland. As a World War II veteran who served as an infantryman in the South Pacific, he also talks about his wartime experiences at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, where he also does some carpentry work. And he volunteers at blood drives for the American Red Cross. All of this he does at the age of 84 - and after undergoing open heart surgery about eight years ago. "I enjoy doing something for others," Read more
	VOLUNTEER FAMILY *Oram-Proudfoot Family* He had just undergone open-heart surgery and was suffering from lymphedema, a buildup of fluid in the soft tissues of the body. Bandages and other medical supplies were scattered about the family's home in Portage as he recuperated. Looking at all that stuff led his wife to a thought - a thought about the needs of American troops serving in Iraq. "I told myself, 'I'm sure there's a medic or hospital over there that can put them to good use,'" she said. That was when the seeds were planted for Read more
	SENIOR VOLUNTEER *Chris Bartley* It was a sign of her love for Woods Lake Park as she marked the native plants she'd planted with a lime green ribbon. As she walked the footpath along the lake, she also picked up trash and pulled garlic mustard, a non-native plant that grows abundantly around Woods Lake. This volunteer has spent the past three years restoring Woods Lake Park. But she isn't just cleaning up and improving the park for herself. By making it more beautiful, she hopes it will attract more people. "I really want people in Kalamazoo to know this park is something special," she said. "I really feel that it's essential for people to connect in the community." Read more
	ADULT VOLUNTEER *Ann Maguire* Westwood Little League was broke. Its coffers had been drained in 2005 and 2006 by a former board member who later went to jail for embezzling nearly $18,000. The league was $12,000 in debt and the 2007 season was in doubt. So this parent set about making certain a 51st season for the Kalamazoo league would come off for the children. "She really took the whole thing on her shoulders," said a league board member. "Without her, I doubt the Westwood Little League would even be here." She organized teams, found coaches and sponsors, and had uniforms made. Read more
	ADULT VOLUNTEER GROUP *Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes* Last year, this group of volunteers delivered one million pounds of food to the pantries of 20 faith-based organizations and other agencies that provide fresh vegetables and non-perishable items to families in need. The group was founded 26 years ago and has 375 volunteers who logged a combined 10,900 hours in 2007. They take donations of both food and money, and the community's response to its annual fundraisers is consistently generous. They are especially proud of their backpack program Read more
	ADULT VOLUNTEER GROUP *AT&T TelecomPioneers* Members of this local volunteer group enjoy the anonymity of their community service. As their leader explained, they "stay under the radar." But they've been in existence since 1911 and they plan to be around for many more years. The Kalamazoo chapter of this group boasts 600 members, who performed more than 9,100 hours of volunteer service in 2007. One service the group performs is "Home Instead - Be a Santa to a Senior." A man affiliated with Home Instead Senior Care nominated this group. Read more
	COLLEGE VOLUNTEER *Jackie Luedtke* After this young woman graduated from high school in Frankfort, Mich., she decided to wait a year before going to college. But it wasn't for rest and relaxation. She spent most of that year in Mississippi volunteering with AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps to construct homes for people living in FEMA trailers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Sawing beams, putting up siding, giving orientation sessions to new workers and feeding hungry volunteers just confirmed what she wants to do. "I knew when I graduated from high school that I wanted to find a way to help people, but I didn't Read more
	COLLEGE VOLUNTEER GROUP *Drive Safe Kalamazoo* Every Thursday through Saturday from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., these volunteers take calls from Western Michigan University students who need rides home. While their drivers are out and about until the wee hours of the morning, anything can happen. They might have trouble finding the person who called for a ride, occasionally the passenger gets sick in the car or something is said that's downright funny. No matter what happens, they get their passengers home safely - and they keep their memories jotted down in a "drunk-and-sober quote book." "It's absolutely the funnest volunteering you'll ever have in your entire life because you never know what you're getting youself into," Read more
	YOUNG ADULT VOLUNTEER *Josh Haas* On weekdays, this young man is a software tester for Defense Logistics Information Serrvice. On weekends, he's a volunteer at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. The Bird of Prey program is his specialty, but it wasn't until he started volunteering at the Kalamazoo Nature Center more than three years ago that he discovered his great interest in hawks. "Working with these powerful animals gave me a newfound love; these birds," he says. He started by going in on Sundays to clean cages, feed the birds, work with the animals and create programs. Read more
	YOUTH VOLUNTEER *Jenna Sheets* This Plainwell High School senior devoted hundreds of hours last year volunteering for a variety of organizations, focusing on helping young teens and working with needy families. Her work for TeenHEART, a student-leadership program that helps middle-school students resist negative peer pressure, illustrates some of the essential characteristics that make her an outstanding role model and mentor to younger teens. "I'm not that far away from being in middle school myself, and I think that helps me reach them," said the 17-year-old honor student. "When kids hear another kid talk Read more
	YOUTH VOLUNTEER GROUP *Kalamazoo Central High School Activists for Action* "You will probably find this group of dedicated students leading the charge for change wherever positive things are happening," said Patricia Carlin, the high school teacher and counselor who nominated this student-organized, student-run group. Every Wednesday after school, about 20 students meet to do a weekly recycling pickup. They pull out the tall, blue recycling dumpsters and divide into pairs, each taking a separate wing of the building. These students came together because they share a common concern for their environment - and they want others to care, too. Read more