(Julie Schickling, “Volunteer of the Year,” with Council President Sally Clark; photo by Dina Johnson)
“Most neighborhoods don’t do what you’re doing right now,” City Council President Sally Clark told the first-ever “Gathering of Heroes: Celebrating Volunteers” event tonight, “taking a moment … to simply say ‘thank you’ to one another and recognize good deeds.”

(Photo by Holli Margell)
The “moment” was a two-hour event attended by more than 50 people from around eastern West Seattle – plus some neighbors from over the ridge – at High Point Neighborhood Center to celebrate volunteers working hard to improve the community, the people that organizers dubbed Delridge’s Unsung Heroes. You might recall, the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council put out the call for nominees – and while the original thought was to choose honorees from among them, they decided to celebrate everyone who was nominated. Then at night’s end, two finalists were announced for “Volunteer of the Year” – here’s the reading of the nominations, then the announcement of the winner, and a few words of explanation from Council President Clark about the Jefferson Awards for which that winner will be nominated:

The winner, Julie Schickling from the Highland Park Improvement Club (how she led the charge to save the HPIC building was well-told by our partners at the Seattle Times in 2009), and the other finalist, Alejandra Ruiz Diaz, from the Roxhill Elementary PTA, were among 27 honored individuals and groups. Here they are (including our truncated descriptions of how the event program explained their achievements):

from Highland Park
Betsy Harris – public-safety volunteer
Blair Johnson – “volunteered in multiple capacities”
Julie Schickling – “led the double facelift at the Highland Park Improvement Club”
Carolyn Stauffer – spray-park project leader, Westcrest Park expansion, more

from High Point
Mat McBride – Camp Long Advisory Council, chairs Delridge Neighborhoods District Council
Peter Miller – ESL computer lab teacher

from North Delridge
Gale Hurley – public safety
Dave Brown – preparedness
Jake Vanderplas – Greenways
Tammy & Chris Stewart – fighting drug houses/street activity
Amanda Leonard – saved “Delridge Day” in 2011, co-chairs North Delridge Neighborhood Council
Nancy Folsom – skatepark liaison, cleanup organizer
Betsy Hoffmeister – “gets things done when others see no way”
Vonetta Mangaoang – DESC advisory committee
Patrick Baer – Delridge Community Forum
Parie Hines – NDNC
Mike Dady – “diligent in his pursuit of a better community for more than 12 years”
Michael Taylor-Judd – “longtime advocate for transportation and transit”
Benjamin Canfield – preparedness

from Puget Ridge
Pamela Dore – Block Watch captain
Tasha Mosher – “Recovery Garden”

from Pigeon Point
Gene Recker – quiet steward, cleanups
Helen Shampain – directs Community Orchard of West Seattle

from Westwood
Alejandra Ruiz Diaz – active PTA parent @ Roxhill

“special groups & people”
Willard Brown – development of affordable housing, DNDA board president
Delridge Branch Library Homework Helper Team (John, Robyn, Jim, Linda, Michele, Elaine, Robert, Dang, Joyce, Phil, Gary)

Longfellow Creek stewards
Jay Mirro, Scott Blackstock, Mike Arizona, Kirsten Rohrbach

Those at the celebration, which included a buffet dinner sponsored by Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering and Events (other contributing sponsors included the Delridge Day Committee), also heard from Christa Mazzone-Palmberg from Sound Alliance. Organizers promise coverage to come on the Delridge Grassroots Leadership website. This was intended to be something of a pre-func to tomorrow’s Gathering of Neighbors – you’ll see more than a few of these dedicated volunteers there – hope to see you at Chief Sealth International High School during the GoN, 11 am-3 pm Saturday!