Jesse Skinner – May 27 The Connecticut Sun and Malta would like to honor Jesse Skinner with today’s Dish & Assist Hero Award. Skinner received Malta's Outstanding Volunteer Service Award for 2006. Week after week, Skinner volunteers for Malta both behind the scenes and out on the street. His tireless collection efforts and willingness to serve wherever he is needed are appreciated and commendable. Whether he is sorting clothes or ministering to the less fortunate, Jesse is consistent, dependable and whole-hearted in his effort. Jesse's attitude is apparent in the humility he displays and the concern that he expresses to those he serves. The Connecticut Sun would like to thank Jesse Skinner for his commitment to Malta and his community.
Girl Scouts – June 3 The Connecticut Sun and the Girl Scouts of Connecticut and Rhode Island would like to honor Diana Camara, Alicia Caton and Meghan McMullen with today’s Dish & Assist Hero Award. Diana, Alicia and Meghan are members of Girl Scout Troop 588 Bristol and Warren Rhode Island. The scouts have worked hard on their Silver Award Project by planning, organizing and funning a community camp-out for 46 younger Girl Scouts. Together they logged 175 community services hours and collected over 50 can goods for their local food pantry. The Connecticut Sun would like to thank Diana Camara, Alicia Caton and Meghan McMullen for their commitment to the Girl Scouts and their community.
Linda Pfeiffer – June 9 Pfeiffer is a dedicated teacher, softball and basketball coach at New London High School, who has shown her players how to be role models and community leaders. Pfeiffer and 16 members of her softball team took part in Relay for Life on Saturday, May 20th and walked 137 miles, raising two-thousand eight hundred and sixty-five dollars for the fight against cancer. Pfeiffer and her team walked the survivors lap with their Athletic Director, who is recovering from a malignant growth in his throat. This past winter, her basketball team also raised more than one-thousand dollars to benefit Coaches vs. Cancer. The Connecticut Sun would like to thank Linda Pfeiffer for her commitment to the community. Accepting the award tonight is Linda Pfeiffer and members of her softball and basketball teams.
Maureen Bascetta – June 11 Bascetta, a Pulmonary Therapist by training and a dedicated community volunteer by avocation, spearheaded the coordination of Colebrook’s First Responders group. The first responders started out as a volunteer group of ten and have grown to 28 responders. Under the first responders system, volunteers respond to medical emergencies and provide care until ambulance crews can arrive from neighboring towns. The Connecticut Sun would like to thank Maureen Bascetta for her commitment to the Town of Colebrook and to her community.
Lenore Salvati, Lou Pane, Liz Franco-Spano – June 22 These three individuals came together this January to raise money for Jada Cintron, a 10-year old East Haven resident who sustained second and third degree burns on 60 percent of her body. Their fundraising efforts have raised thousands of dollars with the help of the East Haven hockey team, cheer leaders, and students at D.C. Moore Elementary School. They have also established a fund at the New Alliance Bank in East Haven called “Slapshots for Jada.” The Connecticut Sun would like to thank Lenore Salvati, Lou Pane, and Liz Franco-Spano for their commitment to the community.
Joe Slepki – June 30 Mr. Slepski is a Wethersfield, Connecticut resident who serves on the Board of Directors for Wethersfield’s Little League and Youth Football League. He is also president of the George D. Ritchie Soccer Club. Mr. Slepski is an advocate for providing competitive sporting activities for all skill levels for the youths of Wethersfield. He has expanded the soccer club from a 6-week program to an active soccer club that runs for 3 seasons during the year. He has included a division for high school age athletes, and to his credit the program has grown from less than two hundred athletes to over one-thousand athletes. In addition to being a supporter of youth sports, Joe Slepski has run 10 marathons to help raise money for the Leukemia Society. The Connecticut Sun would like to thank Joe Slepski for his commitment to the community.
Shirley Smith – July 6 Shirley Smith is a Norwich, Connecticut, resident who for the last 19 years has opened her home to more than 75 foster children. Mrs. Smith’s commitment with foster care first started in the 1980’s when she took classes to become a licensed foster parent. The last of her foster children were adopted at the end of 2005. Recently, she was honored with Norwich’s 2006 Humanitarian Award. The Connecticut Sun would like to thank Shirley Smith for her commitment to the community.
Alvan Johnson, Rosalind Best & Heidi Veltheim – August 3 Our first honoree is the Reverend Doctor Alvan Johnson Junior. He has been the pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Bloomfield, Connecticut for twenty six years. Alvan devotes his time to the spiritual, educational, and social concerns of the Greater Hartford community. In addition to his pastoral duties he presently serves on the Fire Arm Review Board for the Hartford Police Department. Our next honoree is Rosalind Best. She was recently named Connecticut’s Working Woman of the Year by the Connecticut Department of Labor. She was chosen for displaying strength and devotion to her work, family and community, as well as overcoming adversity. Rosalind successfully balances her full-time job, holds leadership positions with several community organizations and is a Navy Reservist. She has a husband and two young children and is currently battling breast cancer. On May twenty second of this year, the town of Bloomfield, Connecticut honored her with Rosalind Best Day. Our final honoree for the evening is Heidi Veltheim. For the past year, Heidi has served our community through Habitat for Humanity of Southeastern Connecticut, where she has supported Habitat families and volunteers as a member of AmeriCorps. She has developed and implemented programs with local children and young adults to teach them the importance of community service, leadership and compassion for our neighbors who struggle with homelessness and the lack of affordable housing.