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| ERRI Recognizes Volunteer Efforts |
You are here: Newsletters > July 2007 > ERRI Recognizes Volunteer Efforts
2007 Volunteers of the Year unveiled in March
By Laura Wade Baier
ERRI looks forward to recognizing the efforts of our many dedicated volunteers each year at the Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner.
This year's dinner, held March 25th in the An Poitin Stil's lovely horse-themed banquet room, was no exception. And as the board members and volunteers enjoyed drinks and dinner at their own expense (as ERRI's budget does not allow us to foot the bill for the dinner), everyone wondered who the lucky person(s) would be to earn the 2007 honors.
Before announcing the winners, Advisory Board President and 2003 Volunteer of the Year recipient Judy Hofmann thanked all of the volunteers and donors who continue to make ERRI's mission possible.
"The first award goes to a person who has been around for 11 years, showing up no matter what the weather brought," said Hofmann before she announced Michelle Lurz as one of the 2007 Volunteer of the Year recipients.
In addition to her help in the barn, Lurz has also helped with retraining some of ERRI's difficult rescue horses. In January, she was granted permission to adopt one of these rescues, an off-the-track Thoroughbred who gave many other experienced ERRI volunteer riders a run for their money.
ERRI Founder and Board of Directors President Debbie Frank said, "This kid has been around a long time and that horse picked her. It wasn't the other way around. She didn't have a choice."
Also recognized with 2007 Volunteer of the Year honors was ERRI Treasurer Susan Heisler Eckert.
Hofmann said, "There's no doubt that without Susan's help keeping us straight, we wouldn't have had our first year in the black last year."
Eckert also sits on many ERRI committees including the Inspection Committee, the Special Events Committee and the Membership/Volunteer Committee, in addition to being a mother of three ages 5-9 and a riding instructor/horse trainer many days a week.
Her husband, Michael Eckert received special recognition for his technological help behind-the-scenes with ERRI's accounting software.
ERRI's Volunteer of the Year Awards were initiated in 2003 and are selected secretly by ERRI's Board of Directors. Winners demonstrate long-term dedication to ERRI's mission.