Nominations are being accepted for the inaugural Bruce Walford Community Service Award.

Last April, The Resource Center and the community in general unexpectedly lost a driving force when Bruce Walford, Manager of TRC’s Mary Andrews Work Center on East Chestnut Street in Dunkirk, passed away.

To some he was “Boss;” to some he was co-worker; to some he was family; to others he was friend; to some he was the man who gave you water when you desperately needed it; but to all of us he was “Wally.” Wally was deeply involved with Laurel Run, and it's been said that while Laurel Hotelling and her family are the heart of Laurel Run, Wally was the soul. At the Laurel Run Planning Committee's first meeting following Wally's passing, the enormity of his contribution was fully realized - there were some big shoes to fill.

In order to remember Wally and continue his legacy in some small way, his family and friends have created the Bruce Walford Community Service Award. The award will be presented each year to a person who exemplifies the qualities that Wally practiced, without thinking, in everyday life: a commitment to the community; selflessness; the initiative and the ingenuity to forge forward and make things happen; and an enthusiasm and exuberance that inspire others.

Whereas Wally brought the general community — vendors, volunteers, co-workers, consumers, friends, and relatives — into what he did, the award selection committee is seeking nominations from all these populations to be considered for the inaugural award.

Each year’s winner will be chosen from the submitted pool of nominees by a committee of Wally’s friends and family. The committee members will analyze how each nominee demonstrates the virtues and values that Wally lived in his life, as well as the degree to which each nominee exhibits community involvement.
The deadline for nominee submissions will be March 1 of each year. Nominations received after that date will be set aside for consideration in the following year. To submit a nomination, visit www.laurelrun8k.org. This year’s award will be presented at the 12th annual Laurel Run on Saturday, July 19, in Silver Creek.

Comment

TRC gratefully accepts memorial donations. To make a gift in memory of a deceased loved one or in tribute to a living person whom you admire, click here.