The City of Manassas held their 24th annual Volunteer Recognition Reception at the Hylton Performing Arts Center last week.
According to Manassas Mayor Hal Parrish, the city had 325 volunteers over the past year – a new record for the city.
All of the volunteers were honored during the event, and several individuals were also awarded an Outstanding Volunteer Award as well.
More on the winners of the Outstanding Volunteer Awards:
Brandon Cox
“His passion for serving others can be seen by his dedication to consistently serving his evening and weekend shifts…Brandon has completed 166 hours of training to be recognized as a National Registry Emergency Medical Technician, bring his total number of training hours to 670 hours,” said Councilman Marc Aveni.
Yvonne and Luis Soto
“Beginning in 2014, the Sotos saw a need in their neighborhood in Bristoe Station, for community engagement but noticed part of the problem was a language barrier. The Sotos took it upon themselves…to translate flyers to our City Hall for Spanish speaking friends and set up multiple community meetings, focused on immigrants, and helped facilitate events,” said Councilman Mark Wolfe.
John Morris
“Knowing that kids liked to play on well-maintained baseball fields, Coach John Morris has worked to keep the baseball fields at Jennie Dean Park in top shape. He works about four days a week during the season mowing grass, dragging dirt, base pads, weeding and cleaning the fields…despite a serious health scare last year, John continued his dedicated service to the team and the community,” said Councilwoman Pam Sebesky.
John Gregory
“John Gregory has been representing the City of Manassas on the EDA – the Economic Development Authority – since its inception. His business expertise and acumen has been an integral part of the EDA and moving the city forward…John’s respectful demeanor has been a beneficial addition to the organization of the EDA’s business model. His business and financial experience have been crucial to the ongoing leadership,” said Councilwoman Sheryl Bass.
Dr. Thomas Grizzard
“Dr. Grizzard has been instrumental in advising the Utility Commission in wastewater and water quality issues and challenges…Tom was instrumental in providing significant leadership in the development of the Occoquan policy in 1972, and Upper Occoquan Sewer Authority (UOSA) wasterwater treatment plant, that was the nation’s first and largest,” said Councilman Ian Lovejoy.
Julie Cochran
“She is a driving force behind RecycleFest…she organizes the traffic flow, coordinates activities, and she’s got one of those clickers – she keeps an exact record of how many cars are processed through that event. Through her suggestions and innovations, she has helped the city to create this monumentally successful event,” said Councilman Ken Elston.
Suzanne Van Dyke
“Suzanne Van Dyke has been helping to keep our community clean for over 20 years. First, she is the leader of the Waste Management team that signed on to adopt Quarry Road…Suzanne and her team are amazing volunteers when it comes to RecycleFest. They are up and ready before the sun rises to help residents, staff, and volunteers to recycle, and drop off household hazardous waste and electronic waste,” said Bass.
Judy Shornick
“For the last five years, Judy Shornick has volunteered at the [Manassas] museum system, undertaking the daunting task of cataloging and inventorying the museum’s collection…Judy has helped to digitize the collection to make it easier to find online…when Judy began volunteering at the museum, she organized materials for educational programs, tours, and other public programs,” said Parrish.
