By Rich Sensenbach, Chapter Chair

This year we are recognizing to two deserving individuals as the Volunteers of the Year. Both very deserving and both for entirely different reasons with a single common factor; the time and efforts they have given to our chapter.

Our first volunteer, Susan Aiello, has spent countless hours working primarily behind the scenes. She has spent hours and hours at meetings, planning sessions, traveling and promoting the Adirondack Mountain Club as a member of the chapter Executive Committee, Nominating Committee and Conservation Committee. She has also been Co-chair of the Membership Committee, Co-chair of the Programs Committee as well as served as an alternate Director on the main club's Board of Directors. While doing all this; she also managed to be part of the team that created our chapter's award winning basket for the club's Midnight Madness Fundraiser. I would like to thank Susan for all the work she has done for both our chapter and the main club!

Our second volunteer, Charlie Helman, probably put in as much time as Susan but under very different circumstances. Many of you heard my constant pleas for help in organizing the Outdoor Expo last year. What you may not have realized was that it was looking like it would have to be canceled. Over half of the organizing committee was forced by uncontrollable events to have to resign part way through the process. Our Charlie stepped forward to take over as Expo chairman, put on multiple hats, and keep Expo going. That, in addition to the work he was already doing as Co-chair of Waterways Committee, the Executive Committee as well as the person responsible for organizing the water events at the Expo. Charlie, thank you for stepping up and saving the Expo!

Without volunteers like these, we could not continue to be one of the largest and most active of all club's chapters! On behalf of the entire Genesee Valley Chapter; thank you!