2018 Volunteer Appreciation Awards
Administration Awards
The Central Valley Award goes to Peter “Chop Suey” Reynaga!
Chop Suey has been a vital member of the Central California AARBF family. From supporting new survivors to helping me move storage and gear, from helping young campers find their way around camp, to translating a burn prevention presentation in an elderly care home. Chop Suey is always there to help. He is someone the foundation can count on for just about anything. For this reason, Chop Suey is being awarded the administration award. We appreciate everything he does for us and his fellow survivors. We couldn’t do it without you!”
The Northern California Award goes to Sabrina Kwong!
Enter Sabrina, Salesforce Superhero, who has been hard at work since last year’s Champ Camp, making sure that all the campers had up-to-date information and so that no one slips through the cracks. Since then, Sabrina has broadened into many more survivor services and ensured that we always have the best contact information for everyone. If you have ever moved or changed your phone number, you can thank Sabrina for making sure that we don’t lose touch! Thank you, Sabrina!”
The Southern California Award goes to the Tierra Del Sol Foundation!
They also assist with the many mailings that go through this office, such as Champ Camp, Ice Skating, Burn Relays, Torrance Spaghetti Dinner, Golf Tournament, Day at the Park, Holiday Parties, The Getaway, and some mailings from Central and Northern CA offices as well. TDS played an important role during the move to the new Southern California office in Pasadena from Burbank. Tierra Del Sol does so much of the behind the scenes work needed to keep an organization such as our going. TDS groups come in with a smile and are a joy to be around. They are amazing group of individuals who work tirelessly until the project is done!”
Survivor Support Services Awards
The Central Valley Award goes to Steve Knuckles!
The Northern California Award goes to Linda Carrier!
We really couldn’t even begin to list the amount of work that Linda puts into this party without doing a disservice to all of the other magic that she pulls off for one truly amazing afternoon for survivors and their families. Last year, thanks to Linda’s hard work, 125 burn survivors and family members enjoyed toys, arts and crafts, treats, entertainment, Santa Claus and much more! Thank you so much, Linda and we can’t wait for another very happy holiday party! (We know you are already dreaming of sugar plums!)”
The Southern California Award goes to the Chris “Buc” McKeever!
Fundraising Awards
The Central Valley Award goes to Chris “Rocks” Bridger!
Our Development Manager, Stephanie “Pocahontas” Boydell had to say this about Rocks: “Chris “Rocks” & Heather Bridger, along with Charlie “Chuckles” & Andrea Bonello, and the Clovis Firefighters Association – Local 1695 have been running the Annual Clovis Firefighters Dinner and Dance event since 2011. The events humble beginnings started in the back corner in a local bar and has since grown to hundreds of attendants bringing in over $80,000 in 2017! Rocks has been a counselor at Champ Camp since 2006 after getting involved through the Chili Cook-off at camp in 2005 with Clovis Fire Department. Rocks also served on the AARBF board for a number of years, working hard to help build AARBF up to the foundation it is today. When asked why he continues to give so much of himself and his family time to the foundation, Rocks stated, “When I sit down and reevaluate my life, think about the stresses and things that keep all of us so busy, I always go back to where my heart is… that with AARBF and Champ Camp.”
The Northern California Award goes to Matt “Cha Cha” Simms!
Cha Cha has been a counselor at Champ Camp since 2011, last year taking on the daunting task of scheduler. When asked why he continued to give so much of himself and his time volunteering for the foundation, Cha Cha said, “From the outside looking in, it may seem like I’m giving a lot but from the inside, I walk away from Champ Camp getting more from camp than the kids.”
The Southern California Award goes to the Chevron Fire Department Burn Foundation!
Prevention Awards
The Central Valley Award goes to Gerald Reeser!
Often volunteering his own time to help other departments, Gerald selflessly gives his time, energy, and knowledge, to educate people about burn prevention. As chair of the burn prevention coalition here in Central California, Gerald has significantly and positively impacted the effectiveness of burn prevention efforts in our region by supporting a variety of programs and agencies in their collaborative efforts. He truly shows what it means to prevent further burn injuries in California. For his dedication to burn prevention, Gerald is being awarded the Burn Prevention Award. Thank you for making Central California a safer place for everyone!”
The Northern California Award goes to Dewayne “Dash” Eckerdt!
Our Northern CA Regional Manager, Anne “Kimchi” Hildebrand had to say this about Dash: “Dewayne “Dash” Eckerdt is a man of many talents with the burn foundation, but for his Prevention Award, we would like to recognize him for his amazing accomplishments with the Firefighters in Safety Education (FISE) Program.
Dewayne has dedicated himself to the program for the past 10 years, from doing presentations, to organizing his fellow volunteers to do presentations and training new fire departments across California. Now he’s training dozens and dozens of new presenters in his own department, San Francisco Fire Department! Over the years, the program has reached tens of thousands of elementary school kids in San Francisco, and thanks to Dewayne’s long-term dedication and vision, it is getting ready to educate even more. Thank you so much, Dewayne, for growing this program from a tiny seed to a super huge sunflower! “
The Southern California Award goes to the Maggie Valdivia!
Most recently we trained firefighters in the City of Commerce and did a retraining for El Monte Fire Department all with Maggie’s coordination. Maggie has attended school meetings with myself, the School district’s superintendent and principals’ meetings to help pave the way for the FISE program. Maggie goes above and beyond to respond to any request we have for FISE, as she sees the importance of having this valuable free program. She always says it’s a win-win for all; the kids get these life saving burn prevention tools and the fire department is involved within their community. Maggie is one of the greatest advocates of the Firefighters in Safety Education program in Southern California and for that we thank her for that!”
Champy-On Award
Today we are celebrating Colleen “Jeeter” Youngblood, our 2018 Champy-On Volunteer Award winner!
Anyone who has had the privilege of meeting Colleen “Jeeter” Youngblood knows that her passion and enthusiasm for Champ Camp is absolutely contagious! Jeeter is one of two Camp Directors for AARBF’s Champ Camp and has been volunteering with us since 1993! Jeeter also served on the AARBF Board of Directors for many years and now serves as an Advisory Board member. Jeeter was introduced to AARBF back when we had the Gold Country Burn Relay that ran along HWY 49, Northeast of Sacramento. She was a Paramedic at the time with the City of Folsom Fire Department and her station, #35, was a stop. Meeting the burn survivor children at the relay truly inspired her and ever since that day, Jeeter has devoted a tremendous amount of her life to Champ Camp from pulling her now husband, Jack “Chief,” into the fold in 1995 to making sure her children, Rhogian “Bolt” & Ehmma “Canvas,” have been a part of camp since they were 3 years old & 11 months old!
Jeeter’s innovation, long-standing commitment and fun-loving spirit are why we’ve selected her for the 2018 Champy-On Volunteer Award. Camp could not run nearly as smoothly or efficiently without her and we can’t thank her enough for all that she does. When asked why she has, and continues to, commit so much of her life to AARBF and Champ Camp Jeeter said, “Volunteering for Champ Camp is the perfect definition of unconditional love. It changes your perspective on life and ‘fills you up’ for the rest of the year until you can get back to camp. It helps me push through and conquer any challenge I come up against.”
People's Choice Award
Rana “Lil Bear” Stephan, our 2018 People’s Choice Volunteer Award winner! A nomination form went out last month to all our volunteers and everyone was asked to nominate someone who they thought deserved to be recognized.
Marianne “Yammie” Krassow, who nominated her for the award, had this to say about Lil Bear: “Rana has truly devoted her life to Burn Survivor support. She consistently has a positive spirit when working with all ages of Burn Survivors and does anything to accommodate their needs. She gives so much of her own time working on ideas, projects, and attending events to support Burn Survivor activities. Rana is extremely knowledgeable about the needs of survivors and strives to improve resources for individuals in need. Not only does Rana give her time volunteering, she also encourages others to join in! Her enthusiasm for Burn Survivors is contagious and her motivation to volunteer is amazing. I am so thankful she has introduced me to AARBF and through her volunteer effort I have been able to connect as well.”
Ruch Family Circle Award
Today we are celebrating Rey Dong, our 2018 Ruch Family Circle Award winner! The Ruch Family Circle is the most prestigious award that we can present because it is awarded to someone who has been so instrumental to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, that they are a part of our family.