Do you know an outstanding volunteer? You probably know more than one. Each spring, hundreds of people in the Fox Valley area come together to celebrate volunteerism and honor those who go above and beyond to help make the community a better place with their gifts of time. Now is the time to shine the spotlight on them that they deserve.

We’ve just opened the nominations for the 2019 Celebrating Volunteers awards. Winners in seven categories will be presented during the 22nd Celebrating Volunteers community gala May 1, 2019, in downtown Appleton.

Read the descriptions of the award categories and choose one from the checklist below.  Arts Award, Business Partnership, Health Care, Volunteer Educator, Janet Berry Volunteer, Mentor and Community Leadership.

The honorees receive $5,000 to be given to the local charity or charities of their choice. The event honors the volunteer spirit of Paul and Elaine Groth, who died in an automobile accident in 1997. The Community Foundation and The Post-Crescent have co-sponsored the gala since it began.

Here are the 2018 honorees we celebrated last spring:

• Rachel Miserlian – Youth Scholarship Award, sponsored by Community First Credit Union.
• Nancy Heykes – Walter L. Rugland Community Service Award, sponsored by Thrivent Financial.
• Bob DeKoch – Paul and Elaine Groth Mentoring Award, sponsored by Mielke Family Foundation.
• Jim and Sue Spierings – Health Care Volunteer Award, sponsored by Ascension and ThedaCare.
• Cheri Duchrow – Janet Berry Volunteer of the Year, sponsored by The Post-Crescent.
• Renee Ulman – Hanns Kretzschmar Award for Excellence in Arts, sponsored by Thrivent Financial.
• Harbor House Domestic Abuse Programs and McMAHON – Business Partnership Award, sponsored by SECURA Insurance.

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