Chair Anna Bryson, Trustee, Capistrano Unified School District with Susan Jeske, President of the Ms. America® Pageant and Co Chair and Certifier for the awards
Jeff Timmons, founder and singer of pop group sensation 98 Degrees with his wife Amanda and daughter Alyssa
Jarod Smith, 7 years old and Jonah Smith, 5 years old from Aliso Viejo; the two youngest receiving the Governor’s Award
Photos by Ken Herezeg
By Kelly Bennett
Over 300 attended the Governor and First Lady’s Award Luncheon & Ceremony at the Doubletree Guest Suites Anaheim Resort/Convention. Californians ranging in ages from 5 to 92 were honored at the event that celebrated giving back to the community. All honorees received a limited edition volunteer service award signed by Governor Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver.
Welcoming everyone to the event, Co-chair and Certifier for the awards, Susan Jeske thanked those in attendance who helped make the event possible. Jeske is President of the Ms. America® Pageant; the Governor & First Lady’s Award is a partner with the Presidential Service Award that qualifies Ms. America Pageant and Jeske to certify California individuals for this prestigious award.
Celebrity Speaker Jeff Timmons, founder and singer of pop group sensation 98 Degrees and a California Humanitarian for Children’s Charities gave an inspirational speech telling the crowd the impact they make on the charities to which they volunteer with will last a lifetime. “When you see other people go through the trials and tribulations in their own lives, you start to realize that our problems become really small very quickly”, he said.
Anna Bryson, also spoke about having a heart for volunteering and saluted those in attendance for their work with their communities. Bryson has spent the past two decades serving the communities in many capacities. For the last four years, she has been the Executive Aide and Director of Program Services for the Orange County Treasurer. She is also the former president and now trustee of the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Education.
The Doubletree Guest Suites Anaheim Resort/Convention pulled out all the stops with Chef James Chavez creating a delicious luncheon. Starting with a salad of organic baby greens Balsamic Vinaigrette; second course featured pan roasted chicken breast with sauteed edamame and roasted tomatoes along with mashed yukon gold potatoes with natural herb jus. Guests finished with a raspberry mousse cake with red berry coulis dessert.
The luncheon started at noon and within 45 minutes, the 200 honored volunteers were called by name, each receiving their award and being photographed with Bryson and Timmons.
The Smith Family from Aliso Viejo were on hand to watch Jarod (7 years old) and Jonah (5 years old) receive their awards. The boys were the youngest in the crowd and were met with smiling faces and applause when their names were called. They were nominated for their work with Savanah Organic Ranch where they have planted and tended to the garden in Aliso Viejo. They’ve also recycled and raised money for the Toys for Tots Spark of Love campaign.
California Volunteers sponsor the Governor and First Lady’s Award program; it provides recognition to Californians who complete a minimum number of service hours. For the complete list of honorees, visit www.governorsaward.com. California Volunteers is the state office that manages programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the number of Californians engaged in service and volunteering.
