Area citizens and youth have been nominated for serving as volunteers to improve life for the residents of Riverbank. The Citizen of the Year committee is announcing the nominees for 2017 COY as well as those for Youth of the Year. The awards dinner is set for March 10. This week, we preview the citizen nominees; look for the youth nominees in the March 7 issue of The News.
In alphabetical order, nominees for Citizen of the Year are:
Richard Boos
According to nomination papers, Boos has been volunteering in his Riverbank neighborhood since shortly after moving here in 2002. Since 2004, he has been working with Riverbank Christian Food Sharing, from bagging food, to driving the truck for pickups, to negotiating with vendors, as many as five or six days a week.
He has also worked with St. Vincent de Paul in Riverbank, Rotary Club activities, Riverbank Cares and the Veterans Luncheon.
Herbierto Carrillo Jr.
Carrillo is an example of how education pays off, nominators wrote. He has progressed from working in the fields picking fruit to earning a Masters of Education, choosing to work in schools with migrant students. He also coaches with the Riverbank Youth Softball Baseball Association and he helps raise funds for Together We Rise, a project which provides a school bag, supplies and toys for youngsters entering the foster care system. He is said to always be asking others to donate and be charitable.
Maria Garcia-Leon
Garcia-Leon has volunteered to help the Riverbank Historical Society with the annual omelet breakfast fundraiser and she spends her spare time teaching English to those who want to become American citizens, according to nominators. She also helps out with the citizenship classes.
Rich Holmer
Holmer has been described as a long-time member of the Riverbank Historical Society, and currently serves in two related functions of its board of directors. He is the society’s treasurer and heads up the committee working to raise funds to expand the museum at its Santa Fe Street location. As an active member of the board of the Center for Spiritual Living church in Modesto, he coordinates its Adopt-a-Highway program, cleaning up a stretch of Highway 108 six times a year.
Kerrie Webb
Webb is said to go over and above what is expected of her. Activities include the Riverbank Color Run in Jacob Myers Park, Christmas Festival in downtown, the Haunted Halloween Hayride, Cheese & Wine set up and organization, and chaperoning teenagers on Teen Center trips. Nominators say she is resourceful, dependable and always serves with a cheerful attitude.
Lindy White
The wife of the lead pastor of Pentecostals of Riverbank Church, White has expanded her interests in helping local families, nominators say. She began her own local food bank, partnering with a local organization to acquire food for Riverbank’s needy families at a reduced cost. It is funded through a few donations, but mostly out of her own pocket. Last summer, White and her husband opened their home to a victim of physical abuse who needed a safe place to stay.
Only one COY award recipient will be honored per year; with the exception of a tie, as happened last year. The winner receives a plaque, the title of Riverbank Citizen of the Year, and will preside as Grand Marshal of the Annual Riverbank Christmas Parade at the end of November. The winner is to preside over COY Committee as chairperson for the following year.
Those selected for the top honors will be recognized at a dinner program on Saturday, March 10 at the Riverbank Community Center, 3600 Santa Fe, in downtown Riverbank. Co-recipients Elias Cordova and Lana Clayton, joint 2016 Citizens of the Year will serve as masters of ceremonies Tickets for the dinner are available at the door or from Citizen of the Year committee members.
