Sacramento Red Cross volunteers honored

by Kati Garner | July 18, 2007 at 01:36 pm

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Story by American Red Cross

Six volunteers from the Sacramento-Sierra Chapter of the American Red Cross recently received the Chapter's highest honors.

Audrey Mayes received The Clara Barton Award. It recognizes a volunteer who has held a number of leadership positions over an extended period of service with the Red Cross.

Audrey has over 17 years of exceptional volunteer service with the American Red Cross as a Nurse, Disaster Worker, and Health & Safety volunteer. She facilitates the work of the Nursing Committee, reports to the Board of Directors, helps at annual flu clinics, regularly staffs First Aid stations, and instructs in Disaster Services. Audrey also serves as an on-call nurse for local disasters and has been deployed to every major national Red Cross disaster response.

Martin Cicero received the Spirit of Excellence Award. The recipient of our Spirit of Excellence award must demonstrate the “spirit” embodied in each of the following key commitments: commitment to customers, organization, people, self and task. This year’s recipient, Martin Cicero, Director of Health & Safety Services, works hard to build positive relationships with both internal and external customers and is always willing to go the extra mile to help our customers get what they need. He believes in and always takes the opportunity to communicate the vision and the mission of the Red Cross to others. Martin is a great leader and motivator and is always seeking ways to improve his ability to communicate with others and to mentor his staff.

The Spirit of Collaboration Award was presented to the Department of Health and Safety Services.

The Spirit of Collaboration award recognizes a partnership or group of employees from Chapter departments or offices which have worked together to enhance Red Cross ability to serve its community or significantly enhance program delivery. This year, we are recognizing a dedicated group of employees for their expertise, teamwork and overall Chapter contributions—our very own Health and Safety Services (H&SS) team!

During the past year the H&SS team has worked steadily and consistently to meet the goals of the department.

Some highlights of their efforts in the past year include: seamlessly transitioning H&SS staff to the reception area of the building to handle both incoming foot traffic and continuing to handle class registration; brainstorming innovative ways to ensure the Chapter has the Instructors it needs to teach a high volume of health and safety classes; exceeding department budget revenue goals; and working with one another in a positive, constructive way to support Chapter operations.

Dick Brothers, the recipient of the Henri Dunant Award, is a volunteer who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to and performance on a Red Cross service or project.

Dick began volunteering with the American Red Cross during Hurricane Katrina and has quickly established himself as an invaluable leadership volunteer. He serves as a Disaster Action Team member, takes on DAT leadership as needed, speaks and recruits at the Volunteer Orientations, and exemplifies professional, compassionate service to our clients. Dick also serves on the Volunteer Services Committee, working to plan and coordinate the Chapter’s recognition events for his fellow volunteers.

Theresa Timmons was honored with The Frank Corti Award. It is a recognition of an individual or organization that has demonstrated exceptional leadership, benefiting the fund raising efforts of the chapter.

Theresa has tirelessly offered her time and talent to assist the Chapter in several fund raising efforts during the last six years. She has demonstrated her flexibility serving both as a “worker bee” volunteer for several auctions at the Frank Corti Annual Golf Tournament, and as a key leadership volunteer organizing the Chapter’s annual Legacy Luncheon for the past three years. In between these efforts she has twice coordinated the Red Cross volunteer team for the local Race for the Cure, and she even created and funded a Red Cross Race for the Cure Pin for team members. She has worked at the Chapter headquarters building in the Gift Planning and Financial Development departments for several years—through four major disasters--helping in whatever capacity needed …making phone calls, picking up checks, calling potential sponsors, delivering donation cans, and much more.

Robin Bevier is the recipient of the Linda Brandenburger Legacy Leadership Award.

This award is presented to an individual who has significantly contributed to furthering the Sacramento Sierra Chapter’s estate and gift planning efforts.

The business of excellent fund raising is reserved for those who love it. Robin Bevier has demonstrated her dedication and commitment to Red Cross’ work for several years, serving as a both a member of the Board of Directors, and as a member of the Chapter’s Gift Planning Committee. Believing in the Red Cross, she has made many financial gifts over the years, and she has made a provision in her personal estate plan for the Chapter. Her personal gifts, though, are not the reason that she is honored with this Award. It is her extraordinary effort to tell the Red Cross story to others, and her ability to motivate them to make legacy gifts to the Red Cross that earns her this honor. She continues to tell the Red Cross story to her clients …and many have listened and acted upon her counsel. Already in her six short years with the Chapter, we have received two significant estate gifts from her clients when they passed. Robin’s outstanding effort to help people through the Red Cross is exemplified by her commitment to the long-term financial success of the Chapter.

Joyce Richter,recipient of the James McColm Lifetime Achievement Award, is a volunteer who has shown a lifetime of dedication to the mission and key principles of the American Red Cross.

Joyce has consistently volunteered for over 60 years with the American Red Cross and has brought tremendous leadership to the Chapter in Placer County. She has organized water safety and swimming classes for local Native American children, has been a leader in organizing Placer County CPR Saturday sites since 1984, and currently serves on Red Cross’ Placer District Advisory. She has been awarded many honors throughout her Red Cross career, including the 2001 Clara Barton Award.

An anonymous member of the community received the Joyce Raley Teel Humanitarian Award for Outstanding Philanthropy.

Our honoree is a true lady. She is blessed with an abundance of good health and wit, and she is a charismatic character who brings much richness to the lives she touches.

Our anonymous honoree has been a kind supporter for many years, but in 2006 she decided that at 100 years of age it was time to part with $1.9 million of her estate. Carefully crafted utilizing two planned gift instruments and an outright contribution, her gift will impact the lives of hundreds of people who will be served by the local Red Cross over the next many years.