Students and adult volunteers recognized
By:Mary Ellen Zangara
Manville students and adult volunteers packed the stage at Raritan Valley Community College’s Edward Nash Theater during the April 14 presentation of Sharing Time and Resources (STAR) Awards, sponsored by the Somerset County United Way.
They were part of more than 850 volunteers honored by the United Way for contributions to their communities. The program is unusual in that it doesn’t present awards to a limited number of selected "winners" instead, all nominees are invited to attend the event as honorees.
Manville residents were honored for their efforts in several of the six categories for volunteers: youth group volunteers, senior volunteers, family volunteers, adult volunteers and adult group volunteers.
Youth volunteers Marion Ashmead and Shannon Wolf were honored for their volunteer efforts donating their outgrown clothes, shoes and toys to local shelters and to children in Russia and Belarus.
In the youth group volunteers category, the Manville High School Community Service Club of the Nation Honor Society and the Key Club were recognized for their participation in Make a Difference Day. Members of the groups worked at the Franklin Township Food Bank where they planted mums, organized food shelves, packed family food bags and distributed food.
They also planned activities, decorated and served cupcakes to the children at the Martin Luther King Youth Center in Bridgewater. The group also collected items for the Somerset County Untied Way’s Wrapped in Love coat drive.
Weston School had many of the students recognized for their various acts of good deeds in the community.
Some of the classes donated items to the Noah’s Ark Soup Kitchen in Easton, Pa., other students used their allowances to purchase items to share with the needy children.
Joseph Kassick’s first-graders were among those honored. The class included Hannah Anees, Rachel Breese, William Caswell, James Clancy, Adrian Cubero, Michael Daly, Madalyn Domin, Randall Elizondo, Julie Fendt, Haylee Furka, Brenda Gonzalez, Owen Goska, Jason Guevara, Jamir LePola-Brown, Mariusz Matysek, Diana Mendoza, Jeremy Nurnberger, Briana Pillsbury, Jill Plocic, Anthony Santamaria, Jarred Saultz, Nicholle Swindell and Michael Zangara.
Jennifer Griffiths’ second-graders also contributed to the soup kitchen and held a bake sale for the tsunami relief fund.
They included Travis Adams, Stephen Agans, Summer Andrews, Gabriel Berrocal, Victoria Bickar, Matthew Bowling, Courtney Carr, Elaine Cartoccio, Melina Castro, Brandon Cepedes, Breanna Fiber, Arina Issatchenko, Steven Kafka, Cynthia Marshalek, Randy Marshall, Jared Matisak, Jordyn Moore, Kyle Puza, Mauricio Quiros-Umana, Karli Ramirez, Shea Raver, Olivai Smutek, Andrew Sutton, Logan Vestick, and Eric Warren.
Third-graders in Alissa Calandra’s class were honored at the event for their community projects. Vincent Alecko, Megan Barney, Emely Bolanos, Scott Caswell, Rocio Chuica, Denise Ferentchak, Sebastian Galvez, Salvatore Grasso, Joseph Hanover, Zachary Horensky, Michael Kassick, Travis Keastead, McKayla Lovas, Krystal Maliszewski, Tiffany Mastalski, Tyler Minegar, Jack Murray, Richard Ocasio, Sarah Perhach, Sebastian Rodriquez, Jani Sawyer, Melissa Tenisci, Jonathan Vazquez and Anthony Zuhone. Dawn Sprinitis_ third grade class of Ramon Bernal, Cristina Blanco, Kimberly Cubero, John Drury, Katyln Faulkner, Jamie Fischer, Bryce Forke, Jessica Freuler, Haley Fulminante, Joseph Green, Jason Grimm, Tristan Jamie, Karina Kozlowski, Alyson Kreideweis, Jack Kuhlman, Amber Lathi, Justina Munn, Steve Poto, Alyssa Scalera, Dayna Scalia, Kyle Sheehan, Christopher Silcox, Robert Weikel and Mateusz Azlweski all gave donations for both worthy causes.
Two classes worked together throughout the school year on projects aimed at helping residents of the Raritan Health and Extended Care Center in Bridgewater.
The students practiced songs and poems to entertain the seniors, help their parents bake items to share, and gave up their money so it could be used to purchase holiday gifts for the seniors.
Kindergartners in Madeline Perry’s class along with Mary Tammaro’s second-graders worked together on these projects for many months.
The kindergartners include Jonathan Ahorrio, Naomy Astorga, Daniel Bickar, Gerard Booker, Alejandro Castro-Vega, Thomas Caswell, Allen Cordero, Dylan Henao, Joseph Henao, Stacey Holloway, Brittney Kozlowski, Erich Kussman, Anthony Lopez, Jacqueline Martinez, James Moeller, Victoria Moran, Grant Obitz, Elizabeth Poplawski, Fernando Ruiz, Nicole Schuyler, Victoria Schuyler, Kenneth Velasquez and Sean Zujkowski. Their buddies of Brooke Andrews, Maria Avila, Emily Bennett, Anthony Chavez, John Clifford, Heather Conover, Lisa Donnelly, Jessica Fischer, William Giannotto, Brittany Hoodja, Denise Huscha, Andrew Kerrigan, Eleni Kontos, Zachary Leubner, Samantha Loriot, Sean Martin, Nolan Obitz, Brandon Perry, Randy Puia, Brandon Roche, Daniela Rojas, Michael Unuigbe and Emily Wierzba helped with their projects, too.
Weston School’s adult volunteers were also honored for their efforts to improve the educational environment of the school. They assist students with their education, help in the office, translate notices for non-English speaking families, use their technology skills to assist with the mobile lab and help out with after-school literacy club activities and assist teachers throughout the year.
The parents that were recognized included Mah Jabeen Anees, Jaci Barney, Brenda Bickar, Angie Bowden, Kristen Breese, Chelsea Darida, Jeri Darida, Claudia Domici, Michele Eldridge, Linda Fasano, Josephine Fendt, Donna Freuler, Kristen Freuler, Brandi Fulminante, Diane Furka, Diane George, Catherine Geukgeuzian, Jeanine Goska, Kathleen Granzetto, Olga Gruszka, Michael Kassick (grandpa), Michael Kassick (dad), Linda Kellner, Christine Kurdyla, Jackie Lopez, Lisa Loriot, Megan Loriot, Andrea May, Judy Miller, Paige Miller, Judi Nurnberger, Angie Obitz, Debbie Page, Sylvia Racz, Tina Riga, Janice Schuyler, Lynn Sheehan, Rabecca Shelton. Denim Teague, Mary Vervan, Kathy Warren and Mary Ellen Zangara.
All of the volunteers were called up on stage with each category, given a white carnation and a around of applause for all of their volunteer work. Each received a certificate and pin from the United Way.
Meryl Chertoff, a United Way board member and co-chairwoman of the awards, welcomed everyone to the evening event.
"This is a very special evening, a chance to thank the many volunteers in our community who give of their hands and their hearts to make Somerset County a better place," she said. "Next week is National Volunteer recognition week a chance to honor those who lent their time and energy to make the world a better place. This year’s theme is Volunteers Inspired by Example. The purpose of this week is to recognize and celebrate the volunteers at the local, state and national levels."
This was the 15th annual presentation of the awards, co-sponsored by the Courier-News.

