Crescent-News.com - Brose, Slattery and Meyer shine during Lights of Defiance County

By LISA NICELY

More than 200 people came out to honor volunteers for their work making the community shine during the annual Lights of Defiance County ceremony on Saturday at Defiance College's Karl Weaner Center.

"Today we are here to honor local citizens that have made extraordinary volunteer efforts," said speaker Laurie Worrall, dean of the McMaster School for Advanced Humanity at Defiance College. "There aren't many nations that focus on national community service/civic engagement."

Worrall said that volunteering goes hand in hand with democracy.

She quoted Alexis de Tocqueville who wrote Democracy in America,which linked volunteering to the strength of democracy in the United States.

Worrall said the volunteers honored at the ceremony were great examples of uniting community service and public work/civic engagement.

During the ceremony the Personal Achievement and Civic Engagement (PACE) Award was given out. This is only the second time it has been awarded. The award is for a lifetime of service to the community. The PACE award was given to Linda Brose of Defiance.

"It's truly been my pleasure to be part of the Defiance community," said Brose. "Through all my volunteer work, I've met great people I might not have had the opportunity otherwise to meet before. You have enriched my life."

Brose has put in countless hours in various organizations throughout her life. She has been on the Ayersville Local Board of Education for 16 years and executive director of the Defiance Area Foundation for seven years. She was the first woman president and serves on the board of directors for the Defiance Area YMCA, is president of the board of directors for the Defiance Public Library, advisory board president and member of the Volunteer Connection and CCAO Community Advisory Board.

She was also on the board of governors for the Young Peoples' Theatre Guild. She is the Ohio State School Board Association representative for the northwest Ohio region and serves on the Defiance College Women's Commission, Defiance 2000's Steering Committee.

Brose is also involved with First Presbyterian Church, serving as co-director of the Wee Kirk (children's church), the first women deacon, and is an elder and co-founder of Coats for Christmas. Some of the other groups she has been involved in include: Defiance Hospital Auxiliary, OhioReads mentor, Rotary, Defiance 2000, Ohio Women's Open, Ayersville Athletic Boosters, Ayersville Football Moms, Ayersville band and PTO.

In addition, there were 40 nominees honored for their outstanding work throughout the community at the ceremony sponsored by the Volunteer Connection of Northwest Ohio. Of those 40, one volunteer of the year was named. Also for the second time, a PACE (Personal Achievement and Civic Engagement) award was given out by the Volunteer Connection board. The award is given out to an individual who has given a lifetime of community service to the region.

"It is a difficult award to award," said Rev. Robert Eble, president of the Volunteer Connection board. "Here at the Lights of Defiance County we see how brightly the volunteer light shines in our community."

The brightest light this year was Mary Slattery of Hicksville. She was named Volunteer of the Year.

"I am at a loss for words," said Slattery, upon receiving the award. "Being in the same room as all of you, hearing what you've done for so many, how you helped so many people -- that's what it's all about. I am honored and humbled."

Slattery, a retired nurse, was nominated by the St. Michael's Catholic Church Altar Rosary Society. She has been a member for 45 years. She has served twice as the president of the Parish Council, is a lay distribution lector, CCD teacher for 25 years and Crossroads area coordinator for the Diocese of Toledo for eight years.

In addition to her work with the society, Slattery is also a volunteer at the local senior center, on the advisory board of the Community Health Professionals Hospice program, co-chairs the annual Linus Slattery Memorial Golf Tournament to raise money for Hospice of Defiance and is a past president of PERI.

She lives in Hicksville with her husband, Ed Hesselschwardt.

The Volunteer Connection also presented a youth award. Megan Meyer was named Youth Volunteer of the Year.

"The Volunteer Connection board has never recognized one of its own before," said Craig Rutter, a board member as he presented Meyer the award.

"It's been an amazing experience," she said of her time on the board.

Meyer, a senior at Tinora, has served on the Volunteer Connection's board of directors for two years, Defiance County Junior Fair Board for three years, has been a Sunday school teacher for St. Mark's Luthern Church for a year. She has been a member of Green Acres 4-H Club for 11 years, 4-H Teen Leader for five years, 4-H camp counselor for three years, Kids Central mentor for a year and St. Mark's Lutheran Church Luther League member for four years.

She has also participated in many activities at school. She plans to study pharmacy in college.