United Way Spirit Award Winners Announced:
Community Volunteers Recognized at Spirit
of Snohomish County Breakfast

September 7, 2006

Everett—Each year, United Way of Snohomish County honors
community volunteers with its prestigious Spirit Awards.

This year’s winners were announced at United Way’s annual Spirit
of Snohomish County Breakfast on Thursday, September 7. The
breakfast includes a report to the community on how United Way’s
work and community investments this past year, announcement of the
new goal for the 2006 campaign, and a keynote address by educator
Erin Gruwell, whose book of her work with at-risk kids is the subject of
a forthcoming movie, The Freedom Writers, starring Hilary Swank.

Spirit Award to a Youth

Maddie Ackerman, 12, a resident of Maltby,
is a 7th grader at Bellevue Christian School. Maddie was nominated for her outstanding leadership of numerous volunteer projects.
She leads an ongoing food drive at her school, collecting staples and canned goods each week, and gleans fields and neighborhood gardens with friends in the summer to gather several truckloads of fresh produce for the Maltby Food Bank.

Through her school, she has fed the homeless in tent cities and run book drives for a homeless shelter for women and children. Motivated by the adoption of a baby sister from Russia, Maddie knit 30 hats and baby blankets to send to a Russian orphanage. She also led efforts that raised more than $1400 for tsunami and hurricane victims. From this, Maddie and two friends have formed their own service club, “Best Friends Forever Club.” Their newest project is making and selling beaded jewelry to raise money for Operation SMILE, a nonprofit organization that provides surgery for children with cleft palates.

“I realized how important it is to give and help others,” Maddie said. “It just feels really good.”

The Spirit Youth Award is given to a youth who exemplifies leadership and volunteerism. The youth must work or volunteer at any United Way-funded program, initiative or service; have made a significant, exemplary and noteworthy impact in his/her field of service; and be a true partner of United Way, helping create United Way’s impact on our community.

Spirit Award to an Individual

Shirley Blackbourn of Edmonds. Over the
past 37 years, Shirley has greeted literally thousands of visitors to Stevens Hospital.
She began volunteering in 1969, and has worked every Monday and Wednesday since then at the Information Desk at the third floor main lobby.

Shirley was a registered nurse working in
the OR at Swedish Hospital when she contracted polio in 1953. Being wheelchair bound hasn’t slowed her down—she and her husband raised three children, the oldest of whom was in high school when Shirley began her “volunteer career.”

Shirley

“I decided to make the commitment,” Shirley says. “That was 37 years ago and I have enjoyed every minute. I feel like I’m doing something useful. I just don’t know what else I’d do on those days—it’s part of my life.”
Shirley was nominated by the staff at Stevens Hospital, who said, “she has given so much to this hospital and the community. She is amazing—I wish everyone could be as dedicated a volunteer as Shirley,” [Jolene Waggoner-Stevens Hospital.]

The Individual award is given to a person who is truly helping to improve people’s lives in Snohomish County. He or she must be making a significant, exemplary and noteworthy impact in his/her field of service as an employee or volunteer.

Spirit of Labor Award

Don Shove, 61, of IAM 751 (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers). Volunteering is in Don’s
genes: a habit he said he learned as a
kid from his father and grandfather. An
Everett resident, with his union, Don helps clear a 3-mile stretch of road. He has volunteered for RAMP, the Regional Access Mobility Project, to build wheelchair ramps
for disabled individuals and families who can’t afford to hire a contractor. He has
served as a long-time volunteer and officer

Don

for the Lions Club, helping restore sight to the vision impaired through the SightFirst program and providing guide dogs to others who cannot see. Perhaps his favorite type of volunteering, however just pitching in when a family or individual needs help—an “old school” method he learned from his family, when “the village raised everybody.”

“There’s not a better feeling,” says Don. “Volunteering is fun, it’s easy, its enjoyable. I meet people I would probably never meet. The best thing is knowing that somebody or something is going to benefit.”

Don is on the Families Matter Vision Council for United Way of Snohomish County, and recently rejoined the Board of Directors—a position of service he held from 1998 to 2004. Don is also active in the Boeing Employee Community Fund, which raises millions of dollars for our community.

The Spirit of Labor Award is presented to a union member for outstanding community service through the partnership between United Way and Organized Labor. The recipient demonstrates long-term notable volunteer service and giving.

Spirit of Snohomish County
—Community Partner

Comcast. Two years ago, this community partner’s sponsorship gave birth to a good
idea long in gestation: a website with local resources for parents and kids, easily searchable by topic and zip code. In April,
The Parent Place at United Way was
launched, putting over 1,000 local resources online and at the fingertips of parents and caregivers.

Comcast

They have also used their resources to let people know this free service exists: their media sponsorship includes filming two public service announcements for United Way, and providing over $300,000 in free airtime.

Comcast also supports its employees’ involvement in community service. Last year, employees in the Everett offices alone donated over 2100 hours of volunteer time through Comcast Cares Day. Two Comcast employees also volunteer directly for United Way.

The Community Partner Spirit Award recognizes the organization or corporation that exemplifies the most comprehensive, measurable commitment to building strong and caring communities. The award was accepted by John Dietrich, area vice president for North Puget Sound.

Spirit of Snohomish County— Reeves/Sievers Founders’ Award

Roger Bouck, Mill Creek. This lifetime
service award is presented this year to a volunteer who has worked selflessly for 40 years on behalf of Snohomish County.
Although he now travels with an oxygen tank
in tow, Roger hasn’t slowed down. In fact,
he credits volunteering with literally “keeping
me alive.”

Roger

Roger has volunteers with the Sno-King Boeing Bluebills, Senior Services Senior Source newspaper, the RSVP wheelchair rental project as a past chairman of the RSVP Adivsory Council, and United Way of Snohomish County on the Community Matters Vision Council.

Roger has given 5,214 hours to RSVP since 1997. He was instrumental in starting the annual Volunteer EXPO six years ago: organized by United Way, this showcase of county nonprofits just celebrated its sixth year.
Roger has been active on numerous other community councils and boards. Deeply involved in Rotary, he led the effort to start a RotaCare free clinic.

J.A. Reeves and Roy Sievers led the formation of the Everett Community Chest in 1941, guiding it through the difficult early years. Both served as President and also as Campaign Chair for what is now United Way of Snohomish County. The Reeves/Sievers Award is given to an individual who, in that same spirit and tradition, has made a lifetime commitment to community service.