News
Release
Contact: Michael G. Gaffney, APR
Vice President, Marketing
Office: 330-643-5532
Cell: 330-701-8080
Date: April 28, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UNITED WAY OF
SUMMIT COUNTY CELEBRATES LOCAL VOLUNTEERS
(AKRON, OHIO) — United Way of Summit County Volunteer Center will
celebrate the spirit of volunteerism at its seventh annual Volunteer
Celebration on Thursday, May 1, 2008, from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at St.
Joseph Family Center, 610 W. Exchange Street, Akron. This year’s
theme is “Volunteers…Priceless!” The guest speaker will be Theresa
Carter, President of OMNOVA Solutions Foundation, and Volunteer
Chair of the 2008 United Way/Red Cross Campaign.
This event will celebrate outstanding volunteer efforts of
individuals and groups in our community.
In addition to her United Way service, Carter is involved in
programs for the Akron Public Schools, including BECOME, Akron Reads
and the Business Advisory Council. She also serves on the
Copley-Fairlawn Schools Guidance Advisory Council and on key
committees for the American Red Cross, Akron General Community
Health, and Summit County 2010 Finance Forum. She has been
recognized with numerous awards, including the Whitney M. Young, Jr.
Service to Youth Award, H. Peter Berg Volunteer of the Year Award,
Helen E. Arnold Humanitarian Award, Community Health Center
President's Award, Peter Bommarito Community Award and YWCA Woman of
Achievement. Carter received her bachelor of arts degree in
Communications from the University of Alabama. She lives in Copley,
Ohio with her husband and two daughters.
As part of the Volunteer Celebration, four “Volunteer Stories” of
individuals or groups who have displayed extraordinary volunteer
services within their organization will be presented in a profile
video. Students from Professor Gabriel Giralt’s class at the
University of Akron’s School of Communication have developed the
video stories for a class project.
The four representative stories are: Lucretia Lantz, Hospice of
Visiting Nurse Service; Bill Thomas, Neighborhood Volunteer; youth
volunteer Michael Kurtz, All Star Training Club; and the volunteer
group: BraVo!, United Disability Services.
Cindy Kellett, chair of the Volunteer Celebration Committee, said,
"Over the history of this event, we’ve had the pleasure of learning
about some of our community’s ‘hidden heroes.’ There are so many
people who are quietly making a difference through their volunteer
work. We’re pleased that the Volunteer Celebration shines the
spotlight on them.”
Bob Kulinski, United Way of Summit County president, said, “One of
our strategic imperatives is to champion and increase voluntarism in
Summit County. This celebration honors and recognizes thousands of
volunteers in our community whose efforts make life better for each
of us. We appreciate, respect, and cherish the work of every
volunteer in Summit County.”“
United Way of Summit County improves lives my mobilizing community
assets for health and human services. For more information on any
program or to volunteer, call the office at (330) 762-7601, visit
our website at www.uwsummit.org,
or write to us at United Way of Summit County, 90 N. Prospect St.,
P.O. Box 1260, Akron, Ohio 44309-1260. |
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