Three community volunteers were honored at the Muskingum County Community Foundation's eight annual Donor Recognition and Award Banquet on Saturday, May 11^th, at the Zanesville Country Club. Each recipient was recognized for his exemplary service to local nonprofit organizations and community initiatives: Franklin "Fritz" Thomas, for his work with the United Way; Tim Hartmeyer, for his work with the Police Athletic League; and, Bob Grayson, for his work with the Munson Arts Project.

The Thomas Community Service Award is named for Ray Thomas, the founding President of the Muskingum County Community Foundation, and is given to individuals who have donated their time and talents to improve the quality of life in Muskingum County. These volunteers have been instrumental in the success of one particular organization or community project. Each Thomas Award recipient will have a $1,000 donation made in his name to the organization he has benefited.

+ Franklin "Fritz" Thomas retired three years ago from Muskingum College as Vice President of Business and Finance. A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Fritz is a Certified Public Accountant. Since his retirement, he has become quite busy. According to his nominator, Keely Warden, Director of the United Way, "Fritz has become a professional community volunteer who shares his expertise with many nonprofit organizations who cannot absorb the financial cost of a CPA to their staff. Fritz volunteers for the United Way and numerous agencies in the nonprofit world, and the time and heart he commits to our community by volunteering with these agencies is staggering."

Fritz has served for eleven years as the "financial backbone" of the United Way. He has chaired the Finance Committee for the past five years and has served two terms as a United Way Board member. Fritz also serves on the boards of the local Boy Scouts, Muskingum Family Y, the Evergreen Village Retirement Community, the Board of Trade in New Concord, New Concord Methodist Church, and the Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra.

+ Tim Hartmeyer is a Muskingum County Sheriff's Deputy who devotes his off-duty hours to the Police Athletic League or PAL program. This program is designed to attract under privileged youth who train and box under the guidance of Tim and other volunteers. This program is much mental as physical. The young people in PAL are being mentored, being shown proper behavior and citizenship, as well as developing their boxing skills. Mentoring not only takes place at the Pine Street PAL facility but at times at Tim's home where he invites his PAL participants and their parents to picnic, swim, play games, and socialize. Nominator Dorothy Hartmeyer explained, "Tim serves as a mentor for those youth who lack parental guidance by meeting with school officials to discuss school work, attendance or other problems. Often he transports them to school or makes arrangements for tutoring. Other times he arranges doctor visits if needed." Tim and his boxers were at a competition in Cincinnati fighting in the qualifying rounds for the Olympics, so Judge Howard Zwelling, a Board member of PAL received Tim's award.

+ The third recipient of the Thomas Award is Robert W. Grayson, Principal of Munson Elementary School. A longtime advocate for children, Bob was nominated for his work in organizing the Munson Arts Task Force by Chris Shaw of Ohio University. The Task Force's role is to bring the necessary resources together to offer the arts to at-risk children and to help them to fulfill their dreams and aspirations and reach their full potential through the arts. Chris Shaw noted, "Bob has put in countless hours to provide performing arts opportunities for at-risk children in cooperation with the PURE Center. The impact of his efforts could be seen on the beaming faces of the children who participated!"

The Task Force is but the most recent manifestation of Bob Grayson's service as he has dedicated his life to being an advocate for young people and children. Through his involvement in Pro-Muskingum, he established a community education program at an inner city school. Bob has been an active Kiwanian whose purpose has been to eradicate iodine deficiency of the children of the world. As a member and President of Zanesville Charity Newsies, he has helped raise funds to purchase clothing for children. He has also served as Board member and interim director of the Muskingum County Children services, and agency with a mandate of protecting the lives of children. His service as Boy Scoutmaster, Cub Scout Day Camp Director, Cub Master, and Vacation Bible School Director, are just a sampling of his efforts on behalf of children during his 32 years of service in public schools as teacher and principal.

Bob Goodrich, MCCF Distribution Committee Chair, commented: "Ray, the Founding President of the Community Foundation, has remained constant and true in his support of the Foundation since his initial involvement 17 years ago in 1985. He is a role model for all of us who are in the business of making our community a better place to live, to work, and to play. Ray's talents as a businessman, an artist, and a community servant and leader are legendary. He embodies the attributes that we honor this evening.

Individuals and organizations are invited to nominate community volunteers from Muskingum County to receive the Thomas Community Service Award. The nominee who receives the Award names a local charitable organization to receive a $1,000 grant from the Muskingum County Community Foundation. The deadline for nominations is February 1, 2003. Winner(s) will be recognized at the Muskingum County Community Foundation’s Donor Recognition and Awards Banquet. To obtain a nomination form, please contact the Muskingum County Community Foundation, 534 Putnam Avenue, Zanesville, OH 43701, (740) 453-5192 or visit the Foundation's website at mccf.org. Since 1988, the Community Foundation has given more than $3.5 million to local charities.