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We chose ten remarkable local volunteers for this year’s Volunteers of the Year awards. Find out how these unique individuals and families have given back to our community.
October 2008
In 1990, when the first class of the Twin Citian Volunteer Hall of Fame was introduced, we wrote of “the spirit of caring” that “flows deep and strong” and of the daunting task of choosing the honorees, a search that yielded names now synonymous with the Twin Cities philanthropic community—Sandy Bemis, Sue Zelickson, Wallace C. Dayton . . . . As we honor the twentieth class of what is now the Rusty and Burt Cohen Volunteer Hall of Fame, it is clear that the spirit of caring is deeper and stronger than ever. While the task is still daunting, this year we’ve chosen ten recipients from our community’s reservoir of remarkable volunteers. There is the family of Kirby Puckett—Catherine and Kirby Jr. and their mother, Tonya—who are continuing the legacy he began. The powerful husband and wife duo Dennis and Megan Doyle are using their corporate influence to help the poor. Community volunteer Hoyt Hsiao’s role models are his mother and father, immigrants who helped build a community while building a life in the United States. Honorees Bill Svrluga, Jim Smart, Irv Weiser, Lisa Glanville Taylor, Peter Blau, Ruben Soruco, and Larry Laukka have resumés and stories as interesting and varied. We’re proud to welcome them into our Volunteer Hall of Fame, now 150 strong.
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One of Larry Laukka’s goals was to find a way to honor past University of Minnesota scholars. His creation of the McNamara Alumni center and the Scholars Walk are just the beginning.
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Lisa Glanville Taylor is no stranger to volunteering. While raising three children, she helped to found the Crisis Nursery, an iconic Twin Cities institution that has sheltered more than 40,000 children since its inception more than twenty-five years ago.
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Ruben Soruco’s greatest joy comes from the time he spends at the Science Museum of Minnesota, where he helps children and teens enjoy learning.
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The head of a well-known design firm, Jim Smart offers a helping hand to those in need, including the Park Square theater, Children’s Heartlink, and more.
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The wife and children of Kirby Puckett, Sr., have learned the hard way that there is no promise of tomorrow. Still, they continue to offer their time and hard work to the community, leaving a legacy of hope.
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For the women at the Minnesota Regional Corrections Center, writing is a way of finding peace, thanks to Peter Blau and his creative writing class.
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Hoyt Hsiao comes from a family of volunteers who have all extended a hand of friendship and understanding to others.
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Celebrating a twenty-year commitment to the Greater Twin Cities United Way, Irv Weiser says "you never know what services you'll need in life—or that your family, neighbors, or friends will need."
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Megan and Dennis Doyle’s Hope for the City aims to bring leftover treasures to those in need.
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The cofounder of Second Harvest Heartland and chair of the Minneapolis Urban League, among other programs, now focuses on the Jeremiah Program and its motto: “Seek the welfare of the city and find your own.”
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