CRC hosts their 26th Volunteer Recognition Celebration

Spoiler alert:  It was Dr. Okey with the golf club at the Furnace Street Bridge!

Watch out! It's Dr. Okey with the deadly golf club!

Representatives from at least eighteen different Manchester organizations gathered to recognize and thank their volunteers on Friday, November 8^th at the Chelsea Community Hospital.  This year was the twenty-sixth year that the event has taken place as a fundraiser for the Community Resource Center and with more than 160 people attending, it was the largest in recent memory.

Music was provided by Picks & Sticks String Band

A portion of every ticket and the funds from the silent auction raise about ten thousand dollars a year for the CRC.  This year there were forty silent auction items, ranging in value from $30 to $650, all donated for this event.  Guests could bid on a beautiful holiday wreath for their home, tickets and memberships to local attractions, overnight stays at Weber’s Hotel and Splash Universe, as well as gift certificates from every restaurant in Manchester and many handcrafted items.  The auction alone brought in $3,732, which was an increase from last year. There was truly something for everyone.

One example of the many silent auction items: the Maroon and Gold Collection, donated by the Village Embroidery, Dutch Den & other Dutch fans.

The Clue board, listing the options for suspect, weapon, and location of the deadly crime. Artwork by Allison Vashon and Kelsey McGovern.

Mugshot - Clue Suspect: James Miller, director of the Manchester District Library

Every year, the organizers choose a theme for the event.  This year the organizers created a game of Manchester Clue, based on the classic Hasbro board game.  Each table of six entered the game as a group.  Three clues had been posted around Manchester a week before, eliminating a suspect, a weapon and a location. Then, throughout the night, clues were randomly drawn which eliminated more of the choices.  Groups could guess at any time and the first group to correctly choose the killer, the weapon, and the crime location was awarded a $100 prize.  The trade-off was whether to submit your guesses early but have a smaller probability of being correct or wait to have the options narrowed but risk having someone guess correctly ahead of you. In the end, it was a table that waited, that received the $100.  The final solution:  Dr. Okey with the golf club at the Furnace Street Bridge!

Brian Marry, (pictured), and Reverend Peter Harris were the Masters of Ceremonies.

The highlight of the event however, was, as always, the recognition of the wonderful volunteers from all over the Manchester area.  This year twenty individuals, from eighteen different organizations were honored as nominees.  (See the full list of nominees here:  https://themanchestermirror.com/2013/11/05/manchester-to-celebrate-local-volunteers-at-annual-event-on-november-8th/.)  For an individual to be recognized by their organization for their outstanding contributions to Manchester is truly an honor, but out of this group of the nominees, four were chosen as having gone above and beyond in their volunteerism.

There are four special awards that were given each year: 1) Service to Youth Award, 2) Star Award, 3) Commitment to Community Award, and 4) Claire Reck Volunteer of the Year Award.

Ray Kemner, left, accepts the Commitment to Community Award

The Commitment to Community Award went to Ray Kemner.  Ray was nominated by the Emanuel United Church of Christ.  He was recognized for his work at the church as well as several services outside of the church.  Ray has spent 40 years as a member at Emanuel and has been a Deacon, Council member, and Property Board member.  He has chaired the Fair Food Trailer, turning a large profit during his tenure.

Ruth VanBogelen, left, accepts the Star Award

The Star Award was given to Ruth VanBogelen.  Ruth was nominated by the Manchester Civic Club as a “volunteer of many hats - she steps forward to help wherever and whenever community organizations are looking for volunteers.”  Ruth introduced the Community Garden, the Klager Garden, and the Preschool Garden to Manchester.  She can be seen weekly at the Farmer’s Market and Gazebo Concerts in the summer, as well as at many other community projects.

Karin Villarreal, left, accepts the Service to Youth Award

The Service to Youth Award was presented to Karin Villarreal.  Karin was nominated by the Klager PTO for her endless dedication to Klager students, her colleagues at Klager Elementary, and the community of Manchester.  She contributes countless hours as emcee of MCS Foundation events, fair events, PTO events, attending monthly meetings in the evenings and participating in all of the fundraisers, often taking the reins when nobody else offers.

The final award to be given out was the Claire Reck Volunteer of the Year Award.  This is considered the highest honor at the CRC Volunteer Recognition Banquet.  This year’s recipient was Bob Rhees, nominated by the Manchester Men’s Club.

Sonja Rhees, center, accepts the Claire Reck Volunteer of the Year Award on behalf of her late husband, Bob Rhees. They give the "Bob Rhees Car Thumbs Up" for the occasion.

Bob died suddenly just over two months ago but his wife, Sonja, and members of the Men’s Club were on hand to accept the award on his behalf.  His nomination read, “With a great love of country and sense of patriotism, Bob served in the armed forces twice – once on a tank crew and once as a military police officer.  Bob loved Manchester and worked for decades to keep it ‘special.’”  In addition to serving as a co-founder, president, and treasurer of the Men’s Club, Bob served as the co-chair for the Chicken Broil, and was a lifelong supporter of Manchester athletics.

This is the second time in two years that the Claire Reck Award was awarded posthumously. In 2012, David Little, who was killed in a car accident earlier that year, was the recipient of the Claire Reck Award for his exceptional service to community. When asked whether this has become the standard, a member of the blue-ribbon panel of community members who selected the winners explained that the CRC and blue-ribbon panel have no control over who the organizations nominate, and many eligible volunteers have passed away before being able to be honored. The panel member went on to state, “There were many very deserving volunteers honored this year, and I am happy to see their service recognized. But when you are talking about length and breadth of service to Manchester, Bob was clearly the best choice. I only wish he’d been alive to receive this much-deserved award. In the past, he has gotten up at the banquets and read nominations for a lot of people. It is truly sad that he wasn't able to claim the honor that he so richly deserved.”

After the Claire Reck award was accepted and the group exited into the hallway to have their picture taken, Sonja nodded with tears in her eyes and said, “Bob would have liked this.  He would have liked this.”  With that, they all gave the ‘Bob Rhees car photo’ thumbs up for their final picture honoring the man that they loved so much.

Laura Seyfried, director of the CRC, is optimistic that the banquet, which is the biggest fundraiser that the CRC holds, will bring in more than $10,000 again this year. Laura said "I want to thank everyone, and I hope everyone has fun!" She also added that she has no idea how they will top this years event.

Heather Stommen poses with her auction winnings, a Charles Haviland Porcelain Limoges Five Piece Tea Set and a selection of organic loose leaf tea donated by Worth Repeating and Members of the Manchester Ladies Society

We look forward to next year's banquet and honoring all of the volunteers who put forth the time and effort that shapes the community of Manchester.  Until that time, it might be wise to stay away from the Furnace Street bridge.  You never know!

According to its website, the Community Resource Center (CRC) was formed in the 1980s when a large manufacturing plant in Manchester closed down, leaving many families in need.  Today, they continue to organize people and resources whenever and where ever a need exists in our community. They also stock and run a food pantry for those residents that require a helping hand.  More information about the CRC can be found on their website at http://manchestercrc.org/http://manchestercrc.org/.

Photos of the 2013 nominees:

Ruth VanBogelen, center, is the 2013 Manchester Civic Club nominee.

Dawn Steele, center, is the 2013 Manchester Area Friends nominee.

Ryan Stautz, right, is the 2013 Manchester Community Schools nominee.

Aileen Rohwer, center, is the 2013 Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization nominee.

Karl Racenis, center, is the 2013 Manchester Area Chamber of Commerce nominee.

Stacy Oberleiter and her daughter KaylaOberleiter, second and third from left, are the 2013 Community Resource Center nominees.

Sonja Rhees, center, accepts one of the two 2013 Manchester Men's Club nominations for her late husband, Bob Rhees.

Kent Miller, center, is the 2013 Cub Scout Pack 421 nominee.

Bonnie Mitchell, center, is the 2013 Bethel United Church of Christ nominee.

Sue Knasiak, the 2013 Manchester Lions Club nominee, was unable to be present to receive her award.

Patricia McCabe, center, is the 2013 Kiwanis Club of Manchester nominee.

Monica Kominars, center, is the 2013 Manchester Cooperative Preschool nominee.

Ray Kemner, center, is the 2013 Emanuel United Church of Christ nominee.

Alan Hanewald, center, is the 2013 Manchester Athletic Boosters nominee.

Shawn Edwards, center, is the 2013 Manchester Middle School PTSA nominee.

Carl Buss, one of the two 2013 Manchester Men's Club nominees, passed away earlier this year. The nomination is accepted by his daughter, pictured right.

Susan Fielder, center, is the 2013 Manchester Downtown Development Authority nominee.

Karin Villarreal, center, is the 2013 Klager PTO nomination.

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