Volunteer of the Year Dr. Gerald Gredler When Dr. Gerald Gredler retired he was recruited by two other doctors to join the Grumpies (an affectionate term used to describe a volunteer group at Rotary Botanical Gardens who perform outdoor chores throughout the gardens as well as carpentry projects, etc.).  Dr. Gredler is now affectionately known at the Gardens as the “Superintendant of Sod”.  You’ll find Dr. Gredler at the Gardens each week for 20-25 hours, where he does 80% of the lawn mowing. He has also developed a maintenance schedule for the six acres of turf which includes moving and aeration schedules, overseeding, fertilizing, weed control, etc.  Along with the lawn maintenance he has been instrumental in organizing the separation of the garden debris into compost and other uses.  During the summer Dr. Gredler becomes a fixture at the landfill where he makes over 200 trips there for the Gardens. Dr. Gredler feels he has been lucky. He said, “I’ve enjoyed my work and I now enjoy my volunteer work.”  Mark Dwyer of Rotary Botanical Gardens feels they are the lucky ones saying, “Dr. Gredler’s contributions have helped to make Rotary Botanical Gardens a beautiful destination.  He is irreplaceable and his community service is commendable.”   Dr. Gredler’s philosophy on volunteering is that you can make a difference and do work for agencies or groups that need the help, but cannot afford it.  That is certainly what he does!
	Adult Volunteer Award Ruth Anderson Ruth Anderson has traced her genealogy back to the Revolutionary War, so she knows the value of genealogy, and that is why you will find her at the Rock County Historical Society Archives at least 12 hours every week.  As a volunteer, Ruth oversees 3,000 Tallman Family papers, around 12,000 bound volumes, 108 linear feet of manuscripts and clippings, 500 volumes of school and business records, over 20 cubic feet of maps, photograph collections, cemetery records and the list goes on.  For the past two years Ruth has taken on the role of Volunteer Archives Supervisor, and this is no small job.  But Ruth explained, “I guess I love the challenge of trying to organize the materials to make them easier to locate.”  This includes how things are cataloged and cross-referenced, and now they are trying to move items into the electronic age to be able to retrieve needed information more quickly.  Tina Love of the Rock County Historical Society says, “She (Ruth) is educating people and preserving our history for generations, today and tomorrow.”  Ruth loves the excitement of helping someone find the information they are looking for and being there to see the joy on their face when they find that item.  Tina ended saying, “...she has been invaluable in keeping the Archives and Research Center open to the public.”
	Senior Volunteer Award Sister Catherine Kelter Twenty-five years ago Sister Catherine Kelter (Sister Katie) came to Janesville, and she began volunteering right away!  Her first experience was with ECHO but just a few years later she began with Nutrition and Health Associates. Today she holds the title of their longest volunteer and Board President.  Sue Stein, Executive Director of Nutrition and Health Associates, feels that Sister Katie has been instrumental in the establishment of the group as a strong, viable agency.  She has served as the President, Vice President and chair of the personnel committee. She also served on the executive committee and program committee and has been helping the agency develop their mission and strategic plan.  Karen Lisser of ECHO said of Sister Katie: “She is an angel who does a lot for many people (and organizations).  She is tireless in her efforts always willing, always positive, and always happy.”  Sister Katie volunteers because it makes her feel good. She said “I really feel I receive more than I give from volunteering.”  Sue Stein sums it up saying, “She is a tireless volunteer who demonstrates exceptional volunteer leadership that has resulted in stronger community service organizations.”
	Youth Volunteer Award Kimberly Rennie Since Kimberly Rennie was in 6th grade she has volunteered for the Hedberg Public Library. Laurie Bartz of the Hedberg Public Library called her an outstanding young volunteer saying “she(Kimberly) has gone above and beyond her volunteer duties this year, not only being responsible for her duties as Vice President of the Teen Advisory Board, but has helped with note taking and many other things”.  Kimberly has had many roles at the library including: assisting children with the summer reading program, assisting with bake sales, helping with fund raisers and helping children and adults create journals. She is currently president-elect for the Library’s Teen Advisory Board.  Kimberly is a very busy person, but still makes time to volunteer.  She says she enjoys the helping organize programs at the library that the children like and that encourage them to read more.  Laurie said that “Kimberly possesses a passion and commitment to serving others.”
	Family Volunteer Award Maury and Kay Frey Maury and Kay Frey like to stay active. That’s lucky for Rotary Botanical Gardens, because the Freys are both dedicated Garden volunteers, Maury since 2000 and Kay for the last four years.  The couple volunteers together because it makes them feel good that they can help.  They feel their help saves the Gardens money, money that is needed to help keep them open.  Polly Schulter of Rotary Botanical Gardens explained that “The Freys are the epitome of a dedicated couple. There isn’t a day that goes by that one of them is not at the Gardens, problem-solving.  They give of themselves in every way: time, knowledge and dedication.” The Freys like to volunteer other places too. Kay is very active with the Salvation Army Auxiliary, helping with Koats for Kids, their Christmas Baskets and much more.  Maury is an active member of the Noon Golden Kiwanis. He plays bingo at Rock Haven and helps with the Red Cross Blood Mobile, but 90% of what they do is for Rotary Botanical Gardens.  One reason is that they like working with the staff of the Gardens, saying, “They are a great group of people.”  Polly feels that Maury and Kay are a couple of their most valuable volunteers, saying, “They are asked to do many things at Rotary Gardens and have always risen to the challenge.  Their dedication as volunteers is unmatched.”
	Business Group Volunteer Award Agard and Lipker Dental For two years, every Wednesday at lunchtime employees from Agard & Lipker Dental spend an hour with students from Jackson School as part of the Lunch Buddies program.  In 2007 a Jackson School volunteer contacted Kelly Sanchez of Agard & Lipker Dental and asked her if she would like to volunteer for the Lunch Buddies program. She was interested asked other employees to join her, and they were excited about the program.  There are four employees and one of the employee’s sons who all have Lunch Buddies.  They love coming to visit their Buddies every week. They have been able to watch them grow over the past couple of years, and they love being solid role models for the students.  They hope their volunteering will show the kids how important it is to help and support others.  The students think it’s great to have someone that they get to have spend a little special time with them.  Wendy Aide of Big Brothers Big Sisters said, “These volunteers help the children develop higher levels of self-confidence, they improve a child’s outlook toward school and they provide a positive role-model (All this during one lunch hour per week!)”.
	Volunteer Coordinator of the Year Judith Detert-Moriarty Judith Detert-Moriarty moved around a lot. She feels one of the best ways to get to know the people in a community is through volunteering, and she has done just that.  Judith volunteers for many organizations including Stitch n’ Bitch, the Democratic Party and Project Linus among others.  But, she feels her baby is the United Arts Alliance (UAA) which she started in her living room in 1996.  As part of the United Arts Alliance she has been the President, Vice-President and secretary. She has also served on several committees such as public relations, newsletter editor, Arts Resource Directory and website manager, as well as working with volunteers.  Her philosophy on volunteering is that volunteers enable dreams to happen.  Volunteers share the vision of your agency or organization. Whatever organization Judith is working with, she knows that volunteers are the backbone.  Paula Holz, who nominated Judith for this award, said “She (Judith) has inspired many people to pitch in and help this community through her creative and fun ideas for fundraising and volunteer work.  She has selflessly given of her time and talents to make this city a richer place to live, and her dedication and hard work have brought joy to many people and a chance for them to give back to the community.”