AARP Virginia Honors Bill Lukhard with President's Award; Recognizes Richmond North Chapter

MELODY ROBBINS 434.214.0382

MELODY ROBBINS 434.214.0382

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AARP Virginia recognized Bill Lukhard of Richmond and the AARP Richmond North Chapter at its annual awards ceremony.

 

 

Lukhard received the President’s Award and AARP Richmond North Chapter #5356 was bestowed the Chapter Award on Dec. 1.

 

Lukhard, a long-time AARP Virginia volunteer, Executive Council member, and recipient of the 2008 Andrus Award for Community Service, graciously stepped in as Interim State President for the remaining months of 2016. The President’s Award for Community Service is given to deserving individuals or groups chosen at the AARP State President’s discretion. Past recipients have included exceptional chapter presidents and community outreach, advocacy, and training volunteers who have furthered AARP’s social impact agenda. AARP Virginia State Director Jim Dau presented the 2016 awards to Lukhard and two other volunteers: Warren Stewart of Norfolk and Bob Blancato of Arlington.

 

“We thank all of these gentlemen for their tireless commitment and service to AARP's mission and vision and congratulate them on receiving this award,” Dau said.

 

The purpose of the Chapter Awards is to recognize the education, advocacy, and service work of chapters that contribute to achieving AARP’s mission by highlighting outcomes and impact on their communities regardless of Chapter size or demographic. These awards give Chapters the opportunity to showcase their work for countless hours of service devoted to enhancing the experience of aging and AARP’s mission. The 2016 awards recognized AARP Richmond North Chapter #5356, whose president is Oscar Covington, and AARP Blacksburg Chapter #2613.

AARP Virginia held its annual All-Volunteer Assembly in Richmond on Dec. 1, where volunteers were lauded at a banquet. The All-Volunteer Assembly honors AARP Virginia’s most dedicated volunteers. AARP Virginia volunteers provide outreach and advocacy for more than one million AARP members in Virginia as well as all Virginians age 50+, and are committed to community service and helping everyone age with dignityand purpose.

Keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Bob Holsworth, political analyst and managing principal of Virginia Tomorrow LLC.

AARP’s commitment to volunteer service can be traced back to its founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, whose motto “to serve, not to be served” has shaped our community service efforts at the national, state, and local levels. Each year, AARP honors the legacy of Dr. Andrus with the AARP Virginia Andrus Award for Community Service.

Don Creamer of Blacksburg was presented with the highly distinguished Andrus Award for Community Service at the event that honored volunteers from across the state for their dedication to enhancing the quality of life for all as we age.

 

More than 100 volunteers participated in the awards event, where they met new AARP Virginia State President Melvin Evans of Windsor, who assumes the role on Dec. 2. Evans takes over from Lukhard of Richmond, who served as interim state president for six months after Blancato joined the national board.

AARP Virginia also recognized volunteers with the following awards at the banquet:
Community Partner of the Year:  The Community Partner of the Year Award recognizes an organization or agency that has made outstanding contributions to the work of AARP by collaborating with AARP volunteers and staff to enhance the quality of life for members of the community. The 2016 Community Partner of the Year is the Beard Center on Aging at Lynchburg College. Named in honor of Lynchburg College alumna and gerontologist Belle Boone Beard, the Center strives to promote positive aging through intergenerational activities, educational programs, information and referral services, and professional training. TheCenter also hosts one of Virginia’s largest annual geriatric conferences and provides leadership for Region 2000’s ninety-member Consortium on Aging.

Gordon Morton Award : The Gordon Morton Award is given to an individual AARP volunteer who has made outstanding contributions to the work of AARP in a manner consistent with the dedication and quality of work modeled by Gordon Morton, an AARP volunteer who passed away in 2002. Denise Coates of Herndon is the 2016 recipient of the Gordon Morton Award for Volunteer Service. Coates serves as a Community Ambassador, Congressional District Liaison, and is a co-lead of the Northern Virginia New Volunteer Orientation team with Carol Downs and Pat Killeen. She is also a member of the Capitol Hill Strike Force Team and participated as a volunteer Ambassador in the 2016 Take a Stand campaign for Social Security.

AARP Virginia has more than 1 million members in the commonwealth, with a volunteer corps that provide outreach, education, and advocacy across the state. Learn more about AARP in your community by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter @AARPVa.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into 'Real Possibilities' by changing the way America defines aging. With staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and promote the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare security, financial security and personal fulfillment. AARP also advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name.  As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world’s largest circulation magazine, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. To learn more, visit  www.aarp.org  or follow @aarp and our CEO @JoAnn_Jenkins on Twitter.