Granholm Presents Governor's Service Awards

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm presented Governor’s Service Awards to individuals and organizations for their outstanding volunteer service at the Governor’s Service Awards / Carter Partnership Award dinner tonight at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn.

"We are here tonight in a room full of heroes," said Governor Granholm as she addressed the capacity crowd.  "You give unselfishly of your time and talent and ask for nothing in return.   We owe you a debt of gratitude for all you do and the Governor’s Service Awards are just one small way we can say thank you.”

The Governor's Service Awards are given annually to individuals, businesses, and organizations to acknowledge their commitment to solving community issues through volunteerism. Nine awards were presented in the following categories:

The Governor George Romney Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteerism, which is the most prestigious of the Governor’s Service Awards, was presented to Rosemarie Herbert of Jackson. This award honors an individual who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to community involvement and volunteer service—someone who has made service a way of life.  Rosemarie has lived her life as an advocate for the less fortunate and has worked tirelessly as a community leader and developer.  Never content just to help out, Rosemarie built new programs and then shared her expertise with others so they could carry on.   Her activities include support for democracy, fairness for persons in poverty, and assistance to people in crisis.  She has been a strong advocate for victims of assault and violence, women’s and minority rights, and restorative justice.  She began volunteering in 1950 and has volunteered countless hours with numerous organizations in the Jackson community.

The Exemplary Community Service Program Award was presented to Eaton Community Hospice of Charlotte.  This award honors an organization that effectively uses volunteers to meet its mission.  Eaton Community Hospice provides in home care and operates the Hospice House to ensure that the final stages of life for the terminally ill are peaceful.  The organization provides, at no cost, physical, emotional, and spiritual care for the terminally ill, their families, and significant others, enabling the terminally ill to die with dignity in their home environment.  They run solely on donations and receive no compensation from insurance companies, Medicaid, Medicare, or the State and Federal Government.  The Eaton Community Hospice has 147 round the clock volunteers who serve ten hours a day, one to three days a week.

The Exemplary Volunteer Service Award was presented to Colleen Brothers of Pinckney.    This award honors an individual who strives to improve the lives of others—someone who goes the extra mile for their community.   She has been a Livingston County American Red Cross volunteer for 12 years.  As Disaster Chair, Colleen is available 24/7 to respond to disaster service calls.  She has personally responded to hundreds of disasters in the Livingston County area as well as national disasters.  She has been personally credited for saving two people’s lives—one while she was on vacation.  Already this year, she has responded to more than 40 fires, three of which were on the same day.  She has also been involved with Red Cross fund raising efforts that have raised more than $70,000.

Participants are expected to excel academically, set and achieve goals, be responsible for their actions, and perform monthly community service projects. The young men are encouraged to pursue post secondary education—85 percent have gone on to college, with a graduation rate of approximately 90 percent.  Esquires began in 1997 with five young men and currently serves 39 young men in grades nine through 12.  The fraternity developed the idea, manage the program, and serve as role models and mentors.  This award honors a program that has found a unique and effective approach to mentoring children. The Esquires was created utilizing the old fashioned values of the parents and grandparents of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity members. , a program of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.Esquire Mentoring and Leadership Program of Flint was presented to the Innovative Mentoring Program AwardThe

For the first time in the history of the Governor’s Service Awards, there was a tie.  For the Outstanding Corporate Citizenship Award, the winners were the General Motors Corporation of Detroit and the Kalamazoo Kings Professional Baseball Club.  This award honors businesses that demonstrate excellent corporate citizenship by giving back to their community through corporate volunteer programs, monetary contributions, in-kind gifts, and employee-driven volunteer service.  General Motors was selected because it recognizes the importance of supporting the many communities in Michigan and around the world where they do business.  In 2004, more than $35 million was granted to nonprofit organizations worldwide including more than $14 million in Michigan.  Through the Volunteer Plus program, when a GM employee volunteers 50 or more hours with a nonprofit, the GM Foundation contributes $250 to the organization on behalf of the employee.  Since 1999, this program has provided more than $1.1 million to Michigan nonprofits.  Each year GM also makes in-kind donations of products from vehicles to office equipment, and in 2004 they donated more than $1 million in Michigan and $13 million worldwide. 

The Kalamazoo Kings were honored because their organization is built upon the foundation of giving back to the community.  No child is ever turned away from a Kings game, and annually more than 30,000 tickets are donated to economically challenged neighborhoods in Kalamazoo.  All proceeds from ticket sales are given back to the community resulting in more than $1 million in donations to 357 nonprofit organizations since 2001.  Kings’ players adhere to strict personal guidelines that include community service, mentoring, and the behavior of a positive role model—in the ballpark and in the community.  The Kings players and staff volunteered in more than 250 classrooms, visited area hospitals, and gave time to many local nonprofits.  For the first time in the history of the Governor’s Service Awards, there was a tie in this category.  Also honored was the General Motors Corporation.

The Outstanding Mentor Award was presented to Ron French of Michigamme.    This award honors an individual who has made a significant difference in a child’s life through mentoring.  Ron has mentored three young men during his 14 years as a mentor.  With his love, support, and guidance, all three boys are growing in to well-rounded young men.  He keeps in touch with his first two mentee’s even though the match is officially closed.  He and his mentees have done variety of things including fishing, playing ball, going to movies, and camping.  They’ve also participated in a variety of fund raising events. Ron’s example has taught all three boys what it really means to be a man.  Ron’s first Little Brother wrote, “You let me know what it was to have a dad.  Because of the time you spent with me, I am a better father to my kids.”

The Senior Volunteer Award of Excellence was presented to Mary Walker of Mancelona.  This award honors a senior citizen who has taken action to make her or his community a better place to live.  Ms. Walker is a 70-year-old retired social worker.  She serves with Hospice as a patient volunteer, board member, in-service coordinator, and trainer.  She is a standards visitor with the American Camping Association, which helps maintain the quality of camping for kids and develops best practices for the camping industry.  She has put her passion for gardening to work with Hospice, the Kalkaska Chamber of Commerce, and the Village of Kalkaska.

He has a 3.6 GPA, is the co-captain of the varsity tennis team, and is a member of the National Honor Society.  He has also volunteered for New Mount Prospect Baptist Church, Gleaners Food Bank, Operation Can Do, and Providence Hospital.  Through his own hard work and the work of other volunteers he recruited, a three-mile nature trail in a Southfield public park was restored.  Hamilton has earned 25 merit badges and achieved the Eagle Scout Award at age 14.  He began volunteering as a Cub Scout at age seven and has been an active Boy Scout for ten years.  He is a 17-year-old senior at University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy.  This award honors a young person who has taken action to make his or her community a better place to live. .Hamilton Harris of Southfield was presented to Youth Volunteer Award of ExcellenceThe

.Russell G. Mawby award for Philanthropy won the Margaret Ann Reicker   as the most outstanding campus-community partnership in Michigan.Carter Partnership Award won the coveted Kalamazoo College and Kalamazoo Public Schools  Two other awards were also presented at the dinner.

The Governor’s Service Awards / Carter Partnership Award, hosted by the Governor, First Gentleman Daniel Granholm Mulhern, and Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter is made possible through the generous contributions of corporate sponsors.  The Premier sponsors are DTE Energy Foundation, Ford Motor Company Fund, General Motors Corporation, GMAC Financial Services, Lear Corporation, and Whirlpool Corporation.   The Pacesetter sponsors are Health Alliance Plan, Meijer, Pfizer, UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center, UAW-Ford National Programs Center, UAW-GM Center for Learning, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  The Campus Hero sponsors are Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network, Community Foundations of Michigan, Consumers Energy, Delphi Corporation, Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, MGM Grand Detroit Casino, Standard Federal, and State Farm Insurance Company.

At a private reception prior to the dinner, the Governor and First Gentleman presented special tributes to all 40 award finalists.

The Governor’s Service Awards winners were selected from five finalists in each award category.  Friends, relatives, and colleagues submitted more than 260 nominations to pay tribute to individuals and organizations they feel exemplify the spirit of volunteer service.  An objective peer review panel and the Michigan Community Service Commission, the organization who manages the event, Board of Commissioners selected the finalists and winners.

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BACKGROUND

The Michigan Community Service Commission provides vision and resources to strengthen communities through volunteerism. In 2004-05, the MCSC is granting more than $6.9 million in federal funds to local communities for volunteer programs and activities.