Sonnenberg honors 2011 volunteers

On November 6th, Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park recognized the contributions of volunteers at the Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner, a potluck-style meal attended by over 150 guests. Speakers for the afternoon included David Hutchings, Sonnenberg’s Executive Director, Laurie Riedman from the Board of Trustees, and Roy Beecher, President of the Friends of Sonnenberg Council.The most noted awards at Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion are the Volunteer of the Year Award and the Mary Clark Thompson Award. For 2011, the Volunteer of the Year is David Hewson, who primarily volunteers as the Lead Gardener, but also volunteers in other capacities at Sonnenberg. The Mary Clark Thompson Award winner this year is Jim Ingalls, who has played various integral roles at Sonnenberg Gardens including the Lead of Fundraising for the Friends of Sonnenberg Council. Both Jim Ingalls and David Hewson have also contributed to the success of Sonnenberg’s Thursday Teas.Sonnenberg has a database of over 400 volunteers with approximately 26,000 volunteer hours contributed to date in 2011. Numerous volunteer opportunities are available year-round. Anyone who is interested in volunteering at Sonnenberg is invited to attend the Volunteer Information Meetings next April or contact Alyssa Deal, Volunteer Coordinator, at 585-394-4922 or [email protected].