Unsung Hero Awards
BCF Celebrates Three Unsung Heroes in 2011
Scott Hillman and George Vien, founders of the outstanding Brookline Youth Lacrosse.
In conjunction with the Brookline Recreation Department, Scott and George founded the Brookline Youth Lacrosse Program 10 years ago because of a love of the game and a shared vision of making athletics accessible to any child who wished to participate. Sportsmanship, team building, and fun are the core values of the program; no child is turned away and there is equal playing time for all. From a group of 30 participants the first year, Scott and George have grown the program to over 300 players last season. Scott and George have given so much of themselves to foster community relationships and to contribute to the increase in exercise and wellness in boys and girls in Brookline.
Frank Caro, community volunteer and activist instrumental in creating BCAN – Brookline Community Aging Network.
Frank Caro, former chair of the UMass Boston Gerontology Program, is the Co-chair of the Steering Committee of B-CAN: Brookline Community Aging Network. principal purpose of the Brookline Community Aging Network is to maintain a high quality of life for older residents by promoting services and activities that enable independent living while also increasing opportunities to engage in the town's social, cultural, and civic life. Frank is a tireless and dedicated community volunteer.
The 2011 Unsung Heroes were honored on Wednesday, November 2 at The Arcade Building in Coolidge Corner. Guests were entertained by Brookline Music School's Justin Meyer Trio.
The Unsung Hero Awards celebration is generously sponsored by Eastern Bank, FastFrame, Chobee Hoy Associates Real Estate, the Law Offices of Susan Howards and the J.A. Lynch Fund Against Domestic Violence.
Additional support generously provided by: Kerry Goodwin (photographs), The Justin Meyer Trio (music), Gimbel's Liquors (refreshments).
Previous Unsung Heroes
2010:
Crispin Weinberg, science and music volunteer and enthusiast.
Brookline Teen Center Interns who have been working since 2006 to build a dream into a reality.
2009:
Phoebe Anderson-Kline, an exceptional youth volunteer and role model.
Roger Grande, a Brookline High School teacher devoted to inspiring an new generation of youth activists.
Linda Olson Pehlke, an author, advocate, and leader on environmental issues in Brookline.
2008:
Joan Sokoloff social worker for high-risk teens in Brookline for 40 years, she worked with many adults experiencing serious trauma, including having volunteered her services to counsel families who had lost loved-ones on the Boston-LA flight on 9/11.
Inda Omerefendic, Katie Ullman and Cecilia Brown, students who led the SAJE (Student Action for Justice and Education) Environmental Committee. They planned a major event--a Carbon Cafe--at the Devotion School in the spring that attracted over 100 community members.
2007:
Jim Margolis from the Brookline Emergency Food Pantry.
Eva O’Brien, a Brookline High Student who is working on raising awareness of the AIDS/HIV crisis in South Africa.
2006:
Jeff Polack, who received this award posthumously, engaged students and adults alike in recreational activities at Brookline High School. He single-handedly turned created a boxing gym and rock wall at BHS.
Nika Gorini a senior at Brookline High School who worked hard to bring greater awareness of fair trade goods to the BHS and the Brookline community at large.