Volunteers honored for service to visually impaired
LAWRENCE— Audio-Reader honored a group of volunteers with 750 years of service among them earlier this month during the organization’s annual appreciation dinner. Among the 54 volunteers honored was Chuck Fisher, Lawrence, the second volunteer in Audio-Reader’s 43-year history to be recognized for 40 years of service.
More than 200 people attended the red carpet-themed event at Maceli's, starting with a 10-minute play written by volunteer Dean Bevan, directed by staff member Feloniz Lovato-Winston, and performed by staff members Peggy Sampson and Jen Nigro and volunteers Charles Decedue and Amy Dorsey.
The event serves to honor and inspires volunteers in their mission to record newspapers, magazines and books for approximately 6,000 blind and print-disabled people in Kansas and Missouri. The highlight of the evening included recorded comments from listeners who took the time to call in and share their gratitude for the service. Many expressed thanks for volunteers’ weekly commitment to recording grocery ads and area newspapers.
“You are the backbone of this organization and truly an extraordinary group of people,” said Jennifer Nigro, coordinator of volunteers. “We at Audio-Reader are honored to work with you.”
The evening also included an awards ceremony for volunteers celebrating milestone anniversaries. Those honored for their years of service:
Five years: Cindy Baker, Emily Bayouth, Dean Bevan, Christine Bial, Ann Cobb, Aspen Junge and Jenny O’Driscoll, all of Lawrence; Katie Bartkoski, Basehor; Jayne Boggs Varney, Topeka; Linda Stoner, Overland Park; Doug Washburn, Lenexa, and Virginia Smith, Pittsburg.
10 years: Alan Black, Cathy Callen, Kay Campbell, Kit Carlsen, Sue Eckhoff, Leann Johnson, Helen Martin, David Nigro, Sarah Peters, Bruce Roberts, Al Rogers, Eileen Rogers, Neil Salkind and Joe Sweet, all of Lawrence; Bill Beeson, Leawood; Mary Beth Smith, Kansas City, Missouri; Bob Stahl, Evelyn Turner and Gene Vollen, Pittsburg.
15 years: Donna Conway, Janet Majure, Shelley Sandberg, Elinor Schroeder, Carol Beth Whalen and Beverley Wilson, all of Lawrence; Don Braker, Overland Park; Carole Bishop Smith, Lenexa.
20 years: Marla Adkins-Heljeson, Ernie Angino, Mary Frederickson, Chris Miller and Jim Wilder, all of Lawrence; Carol Nauman, Overland Park
25 years: Ann Blackhurst, Janis Hutchison and Steve Smith, all of Lawrence.
30 years: Frank Day, Cristi Hansen, Donna Riehm and Harold Riehm, all of Lawrence
35 years: Jan Shumway, Lawrence
40 years: Chuck Fisher, Lawrence.
Audio-Reader provides recordings of newspapers, books and magazines to people in Kansas and parts of Missouri who are blind or have other visual or physical impairments that prevent them from reading normal printed materials. For more information about the service call 864-4600 or (800) 772-8898. You can also visit the Audio-Reader website.