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Each
year the RiverLink board of directors selects non-board member volunteers to
honor. These CriticaLinks have
distiquished themselves through their long-term efforts, creativity,
persistence and impact and earned this special recognition.
In the past
RiverLink has honored such notables at Margie Eblen, Joe Eblen, Margie
Maxwell, Mr. James Green, Art Streppa, Maylyn Seyler, Jim and Peggy
Brazell, Jean Webb, Sally Rhoades, Jane Mathews, Kate
Mathews, Bob Bowles, Walt Damtoft and a host of other terrific
volunteers who helped make the organization better because of their
involvement. According to Karen Cragnolin, executive director of
RiverLink, "Our legion of volunteers inspire us and challenge us
with their engery and leadership. We could not do and accomplish so
much with our small professional staff without our
dedicated and long-term volunteer teams."
They would especially like to thank their sponsors for the 27th Annual Donor Appreciation Party where the CriticaLink volunteer will be recognized
along with generous donors being celebrated. Sponsors for
RiverLink's 27th annual donor party include: The Biltmore Winery, New Belgium
Brewing and Katuah Markets.
This
year the RiverLink board is delighted to honor the following CriticaLinks 2013
for their work to improve the French Broad River and
its watershed as a destination for everyone to live, work and play.
Ginny Hunneke-
Ginny is one of those quiet volunteers who takes on an idea, thinks outside
the box and gets the job done. She never wants the limelight for what she has
accomplished on behalf of French Broad River watershed revitalization
efforts. She has been gifting RiverLink for decades with her work and her
wisdom. Having run a business Ginny brought good old common sense to every
task she undertook on RiverLink's behalf. Well over a decade ago
Ginny became acting volunteer-volunteer coordinator, researched other
organizations' manuals from around the country, developed a "best
practices" manual for RiverLink staff and energized their volunteer
efforts through her own "best practices." Most recently
Ginny served on the Anything That Floats Boat Parade Committee and has been a
significant volunteer and creative voice for RiverMusic in its formative
stages. This year she created "thank-you" books for sponsors that
captured the essence of RiverMusic in photos as a fun, river-oriented event
for the family.
Suzanne Hudson - Suzanne is
a familiar face to many of the non-profits around town both as a donor and as
a volunteer. She works hard at understanding a non-profit's specific mission
statement and is always trying to help the non-profit meet and exceed
expectations at its own program of work. For several years Suzanne helped
fund RiverLink AmeriCorps positions. As a music lover she saw the need for a
music event that would bring people to the river to experience the French
Broad. Her help in inspiring RiverLink's RiverMusic as a series of free
concerts in the heart of the urban riverfront cannot be over estimated.
W.D. Reed - W.D. is a
"go to" type of guy. When just about any idea or project at
RiverLink needs a volunteer, a worker, someone to help implement it and get
it done they call W.D. When they needed construction
help, he stepped up. When they needed help parking cars at RiverMusic, he stepped
up. They needed an event videotaped, and W.D. was there to help. He is a native
and a part of the Reed family that the Reed Creek Greenway is named for. W.D.
has a BS, Construction Management and Business from Western Carolina
University and 10 years of construction experience, and holds a Building
General Contractor's License. He is co-owner of Old Friends Realty and
Development Co. LLC.
Sharon and Vic Fahrer - RiverLink
thinks of this couple as their two-for-one helpers. When they do a volunteer call
and neither Sharon nor Vic responds immediately, they are pretty sure they are
volunteering with a collaborating partner like the Preservation
Society or the Montford Neighborhood Association. The Fahrers' impact on WNC
is impressive. Sharon has become an expert local historian and created tours
and interpretative panels about important people and places like the kiosks
she did for us of Wilma Dykeman and her legacy that have helped bring history
alive for children and adults of all ages. Sharon and Vic are often the last
people to leave an event and are always willing to help take down a tent, or
pack a car.
Curt Crowhurst
You could call Curt a long time river lover. He served on the board of
directors for the French Broad River Foundation back in the 1980s before the
foundation was merged into RiverLink. For RiverLink he has been a hands-on
volunteer, helping set up and take down events, solicit event vendors from
food trucks to arts and crafts vendors as well as serve on numerous
committees where he always offers sage advice. Curt is always helping staff, and is one of the very last to go home no matter how late or how
long events last because he is there to help us close down, pack, load and
put away tents, coolers, chairs and whatever else was needed to make the
event successful. If Curt is not at a RiverLink event helping make it
better, he is probably recreating out on the river -- fishing, camping,
observing and reporting issues. Curt is a volunteer who understands the
importance of a clean and vibrant river and is willing to spend a good deal
of his free time helping to keep it clean and working with RiverLink to enable
others to enjoy this incredible and historic resource.
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