Written by Alana Mauger with Photography by Donn Greenberg

Volunteers are the heart of the American Red Cross and comprise 90% our workforce. On Dec. 6, we celebrated Southeastern Pennsylvania volunteers with a dinner and awards program at Parx Casino in Bucks County. More than 200 volunteers braved the rainy weather to participate.

Organized by the Recognition and Appreciation Committee, the event featured fun trivia contests and a photo booth before dinner, an awards program to recognize outstanding individual volunteer accomplishments, and a special surprise – an announcement that a star has been named in honor of SEPA Red Cross volunteers.

Among those honored were 14 volunteers who worked 1,000 or more hours during the last fiscal year. Collectively, they recorded over 25,000 hours of service; that’s three years worth of volunteer hours in only one year! These special volunteers include Kathleen Byrnes, Larry Daly, Heidi Dampman, Michele Fisher, Gene Maxey, Mary Noll, Danelle Stoppel, Debbie Tevlin, Janice Thomas, Steve Thomas, Ellen Torrance, Don Verdiani, Janice Winston and Donna Zacker.

Congratulations to the following award recipients:

DEPARTMENT AWARDS

• Exceptional Volunteer Award for Communications: Elisabeth von Baldas
• Exceptional Volunteer Award in Service to the Armed Forces: Bernadine Salgado
• Red Cross House Exceptional Volunteer: Chi Pham
• Exceptional Volunteer Award for Financial Development: Margaret Silvestri
• Volunteer Services Exceptional Volunteer: Maureen Zug
• Exceptional Volunteer Award for Youth and Young Adults: Vamsi Nandamuri

BIOMEDICAL AWARDS

• Exceptional Biomedical Volunteer in Bucks County: Ellen Silvererg-Brennan
• Exceptional Biomedical Volunteer in Chester County: Sriya Anumolu
• Exceptional Biomedical Volunteer in Delaware County: Elizabeth Genazzio
• Exceptional Biomedical Volunteer in Montgomery County: Lisa Gazdick
• Exceptional Biomedical Volunteer in Philadelphia County: Kathleen Dykers

DISASTER CYCLE SERVICES

• Exceptional Disaster Cycle Services Volunteer for Bucks County: Ed Robold
• Exceptional Disaster Cycle Services Volunteer for Chester County: Joanne Everhart
• Exceptional Disaster Cycle Services Volunteer for Delaware County: Kathy Mullen
• Exceptional Disaster Cycle Services Volunteer for Montgomery County: Mary Noll
• Exceptional Disaster Cycle Services Volunteer for Philadelphia County: Randy Miller

VOLUNTEER-NOMINATED AWARDS

• Rising Star Award: Marty Westerman
• Helping Hand Award: Terri Sirocka

BOARD AWARDS

• Anita Lockwood Award: Ron Davis
• Betty Robinson Award: Larry Pockers

Special thanks to members of the Recognition & Appreciation Committee: Anne Arnold, Nicole Bryan, Deirdre Butler, Lynn Cohen, Jennifer Graham, Mary Harper, Susan Kalkhuis-Beam, Sean McKee, Janis Reynolds, Elizabeth Stinson and Nancy Tobin.