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Spirit of Sheboygan County Volunteer Awards

Spirit of Sheboygan County Awards

This annual awards ceremony celebrates individuals, groups, and companies that epitomize the spirit of giving throughout the year.

Meaningful community solutions aren’t possible without people, from all walks of life, rolling up their sleeves to share their time and talent. The true spirit of giving resides in the hearts of individuals that give with no expectation of anything in return. We are so lucky to have such generous people that support our community.

Award Category Descriptions

  • Volunteer of the Year – Honors an individual volunteer that embodies the spirit of giving.
  • Group/Team Volunteers of the Year – Honors a group/team of two or more people that volunteer together on the same project under a group/team name.
  • Youth Volunteer Star – Honors an individual volunteer, under the age of 18, that embodies the spirit of giving.
  • Outstanding Volunteer Board of Directors – Honors a nonprofit board that has shown exceptional leadership in driving a nonprofit organization.
  • Community Spirit Award – Honors a corporation that has made a substantial impact in the community by encouraging the spirit of giving to their employees by promoting volunteer opportunities to their employees, engaging in volunteer activities and/or providing paid time for employees to volunteer.
  • Lifetime Achievement Award – Honors an individual volunteer who has exhibited a lifelong commitment to volunteerism and community stewardship.

Who is eligible for you to nominate?

Your nominee must be a resident or group within Sheboygan County. You cannot nominate yourself, someone you are related to, someone who has passed away, an elected politician currently in office.

Selection process

An advisory committee, made up of community volunteers and United Way Board Members, reviews all nominations to make the selection. All nominees will be notified of their nomination and their name(s) will be listed on United Way of Sheboygan County's website at that time.

Award presentation

Spirit Awards will be held in person during National Volunteer Month (April 2022). Event details will be presented closer to the event and communicated to all nominees and nominators.

Questions? Contact us by calling 920-458-3425 or emailing info@uwofsc.org.

Last Year Nominees and Winners

Volunteer of the Year Nominees:

  • Samantha Chapa
  • Sue Garski
  • Sandra Gibson
  • Al Harmeling (Winner! Click here for their acceptance video.)
  • Heidi Hediger
  • Kimberly Keller
  • Nina Kohler
  • Carol Reineking
  • Karen Schueffner
  • Joe Tobola
  • Lynda Torke

Group Volunteers of the Year Nominees:

  • Ducks Unlimited Greenwing Day Committee
  • HSA Bank
  • Salvation Army Food Pantry Volunteers: Lonnie Proveaux, Steve O'Neill, Jack Egan, Alan anand Mary Kalk, Fran and Gordy Schneider
  • Sheboygan Mask Makers (Winner! Click here for their acceptance video.)
  • Todd Arnoldi and Rage Fitness
  • Volunteer Drivers for Sheboygan County Aging and Disability Resource Center - Rural Home Delivered Meal Program

Outstanding Essential Worker(s) Nominees:

  • Starr Grossman (Winner! Click here for their acceptance video.)
  • Deanna Grundl
  • Lakeland University Student Services staffs
  • Deidre Martinez
  • Meyer Motors Staff; summer reading program, food drives
  • Rage Fitness
  • Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice Caregivers
  • Clarita Wesley

Community Nonprofit Spirit Nominees:

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sheboygan County
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Sheboygan County (Winner! Click here for their acceptance video.)
  • Great Marriages Mentor Couples
  • Lakeshore Community Health Care Staff
  • Launch: Lakeland Student-Run Businesses
  • Mead Public Library
  • Mental Health America in Sheboygan County
  • Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice Caregivers
  • Sheboygan County Food Bank

Lifetime Achievement Nominees:

Youth Volunteer Star

  • 2020 – Chelsea Braun
  • 2019 – Allison Kreft
  • 2018 – Dustin Eilers
  • 2017 – Cordell Plopper
  • 2016 – Our Savior’s Lutheran Youth Group and Confirmation Class

Group/Team Volunteers of the Year

  • 2020 – Kohler-Andrae Friday Group
  • 2019 – Girls Reaching Out (Water wells built in Malawi)
  • 2018 – ReStore Volunteers (Habitat for Humanity)
  • 2017 – IDEAS Academy students and teacher Tim Pasche
  • 2016 – Sheboygan Symphony Carolers

Community Spirit Award Previous Winners

  • 2020 – Wells Fargo
  • 2019 – HSA Bank
  • 2018 – Sargento
  • 2017 – Johnsonville Sausage
  • 2016 – Kohler Co.

Outstanding Volunteer Board of Directors

  • 2020 – Safe Harbor of Sheboygan County
  • 2019 – RCS Employment Services Advisory Board
  • 2018 – Above & Beyond Children’s Museum
  • 2017 – Boys & Girls Clubs of Sheboygan County
  • 2016 – Habitat for Humanity Lakeside Board of Directors

Volunteer of the Year

  • 2020 – Larry Doolittle
  • 2019 – Kathy Rowe
  • 2018 – Ashleigh Yonke
  • 2017 – Craig Keberly
  • 2016 – Gerry Plehn

Lifetime Achievement Award

  • 2020 – Tom Leibham
  • 2019 – Jeff Lynds
  • 2018 – Henry Jung
  • 2017 – Marge Sonnenburg
  • 2016 – Denny Moyer