Volunteers recognized for enriching communities

By Correne Martin

Crawford County Leadership Awards were given to six individuals and three organizations last Thursday evening, April 19, at a ceremony sponsored by the Crawford County Community Fund (CCCF), a component of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin.

The mission of the CCCF is to create stronger communities by matching generosity with economic needs. Each year, the entity affords three endeavors: a grant cycle, the Crawford County Markets Care program and the leadership awards. It also supports community functions, like the Mississippi Valley Conservancy’s upcoming Bat Fest, the North Crawford play, Ferryville’s farmer’s market and much more. These are all thanks to a fund that’s reached almost $135,000 since inception in 2011.

“What we do is by us, for us,” stated Camille Smith, CCCF Board Chair, adding that Crawford County communities are better because of the “small acts that, when multiplied by all of us, transform the world.”

Smith said the awards are bestowed as a way to show appreciation for those who make Crawford County a better place to live, work and play. She shared the following quote, by Henrik Ibsen: “A community is like ship, everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.”

The 2018 class of honorees, celebrated at Crossing Rivers Health April 19 for their achievements, included: Café Hope and Pam Ritchie, for their “business development” efforts; Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter and Bev Pozega for their “leadership and service;” the Big River Long Rifles and their Rendezvous for “tourism;” Liz Bremmer and Tammy Otteson for going “above and beyond;” Cindy Kohles and Ron Wagner, also for going “above and beyond;” Diane Yager for “educational leadership” and Pat Connors, also for “educational leadership.”

Board and selection committee members Lori Bekkum and Bob Van Hoesen presented the awards. 

•Business Development—Pam Ritchie is the CEO of the Opportunity Center in Prairie du Chien. Faced with changes in funding and challenges to the “sheltered workshop” model, Ritchie led the Opportunity Center to undertake new, diverse initiatives. Three examples of this leadership include the development of the Sharing Spaces Kitchen and Greenhouse, Unity Adult Care and Café Hope. Located in the former Kozelka’s Men’s Wear, Café Hope opened in January 2018. The eatery is designed as a space where community can and recognize the ability in everyone. Café Hope is one of 10 sites where Opportunity Center clients develop vocational skills with the ultimate goal of locating community-based employment. Under Ritchie’s leadership, the Opportunity Center and its enterprises are a $3 million operation providing employment for 150 folks.

•Leadership and Service—The dream of an animal shelter in southwest Wisconsin has become a reality. Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter opened in December and serves the counties of Crawford, Grant and Clayton (Iowa). A decade ago, a small group of people met in a Prairie du Chien to discuss the need for an animal shelter for the area. Through the efforts of many volunteers and donors, the shelter—located on the north edge of Prairie du Chien, behind Country Inn and Suites—is open and providing services for homeless animals looking for their “forever homes.” Bev Pozega was the driving force behind the fundraising that led to this success. She invested countless hours scheduling, organizing fundraisers and staffing fundraisers that, with the help of many dedicated volunteers, raised over $750,000 for the animal shelter construction. 

•Tourism—The Prairie Villa Rendezvous is celebrating its 43rd year in 2018. This event, organized and sponsored by Big River Long Rifles, brings hundreds of participants and thousands of tourists to Prairie du Chien each year. Big River Long Rifles volunteers are determined to keep Prairie du Chien history alive for future generations through the Rendezvous, which recreates life as it was in the 1840s when Prairie du Chien was the hub of fur trading. Originally this event was held on the grounds of the Villa Louis. Today, the event covers six blocks on St. Feriole Island. 

•Above and Beyond 1—The Bushnell sisters, Liz Bremmer and Tammy Otteson, are a fundraising force in the Prairie du Chien area. Always ready to bring people together, the two have spearheaded efforts to raise over $20,000 over 25 years in support of the Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon, thanks to an ever-growing house party. They were very involved in supporting the Wheel of Todd, an ongoing fundraiser that sends children with disabilities to Green Bay Packer games, as well as the Hooking for Hope annual fishing tournament and auction, benefiting breast cancer research. These are in addition to a host of other fundraisers the sisters, along with their families, have organized.

•Above and Beyond 2—Cindy Kohles and Ron Wagner are known as the “above and beyond” volunteers in Gays Mills. Whether it’s the Second Harvest mobile food pantry, the CouleeCap food pantry, the Gays Mills Public Library, the Kickapoo Exchange Natural Foods Co-op, the Kickapoo Cultural Exchange or the Kickapoo Valley Friends, the two can be found working to make the county a better place. Kohles and Wagner, along with others, also invested in the purchase and installation of solar panels for the Kickapoo Exchange Natural Foods and the Gays Mills Public Library buildings.

•Educational Leadership—Diane Yager is a Seneca School District teacher, responsible for K-12 physical education, 12th grade family living, seventh grade geography and values and choices, and sixth grade Leadership. She also serves as AODA coordinator, eighth grade class adviser, and SHARE Youth Leadership adviser. It is Yager’s role as SHARE adviser, one of the longest running youth leadership programs in Wisconsin, that’s most outstanding. Among the group’s activities: The annual Christmas gift basket project, which distributes 200 baskets to people in the Seneca area, and the annual School Wellness Day that features mini-sessions on important life and health topics as well as highly-acclaimed school speakers.

•Educational Leadership—Pat Connors has been an instructor in the Seneca School District for the past 38 years and a football coach for 30 years there. Pat started the STARS program at Seneca. Students and Teachers Achieving Real Success is designed to recognize and reward those students who follow the rules and do their part to create a productive learning environment in the middle school. He is also the driving force behind the academic probation program, which has reduced the number of low/failing grades since its implementation. Pat holds himself to high standards, setting a good example for all who interact with him. He teaches advanced placement history and government, arranging the classes’ trip to Washington D.C. He is also a member of the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Following award presentations, Rusty Cunningham, La Crosse Tribune executive editor, was the guest speaker. He talked about the opportunities people have to do great things.

“Volunteerism is a family habit. You don’t volunteer to get rich. You do it to enrich your community,” Cunningham stated. “[These honorees] have found a void and made changes happen to make this a greater place to be. That kind of talent, time and passion has changed the course of your community.”