4 Finalists Selected for the Coastside Service Above Self Award: Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay to Announce Recipient at April

The Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay will confer the fifth annual Service Above Self Award to the Half Moon Bay and Coastside community’s top volunteer on April 2nd at the Magic of the Coastside community fundraising dinner event.

Four outstanding members of the Coastside community have been selected as finalists for this year’s award.

Avis Boutell is a long-standing dedicated volunteer with the California State Parks system. She began her journey with the Parks in 1999 working with the threatened plover. She’s expanded her role to being a full-time volunteer with the Parks system. Her most notable accomplishment has been the development of a California natives nursery which produces seedlings and plants that are used in coastal restoration by more than 1,600 volunteers. She launched Coastal Wildflower Day in 2014, which has expanded to be combined with Earth Day celebrations this year.

Bill Mahar is one of the key volunteers working on behalf of the Coastside Adult Day Health Center. A real estate broker by trade, he’s voluntarily provided his expertise to bring a vision of robust services for the Coastside’s elderly and frail population to life. He’s served on the Board of Directors, President, and CFO during the 15-year capital campaign. He was one of the early volunteers for the Pacific Coast Dream Machines which has been raising funds for the CADHC for 25 years. He has been instrumental in bringing the new senior campus to fruition. He is described as “a generous man who has a heart for his community, the seniors, people in general, and the underdog”.

Ruth Rafello has provided selfless volunteer services and leadership to several organizations including Coastside Parents’ Nursery School, American Association of American Women (AAUW), Coastside Hope, and the California Retired Teachers’ Association. As a career kindergarten teacher, she shares a passion for education and the needs of children. She has advocated for the future of women and girls for over 50 years. She founded the Half Moon Bay branch of AAUW in 1967 and has served in leadership positions since then. She also served on the Board of Coastside Hope and acted as co-chair of the Adopt-a-Family Christmas program for 15 years.

Erin Tormey founded the Coastside Farmers’ Market in Half Moon Bay in 2002. Her vision went far beyond providing healthy organic food for our community and also has provided assistance to lower income families through MarketMatch and LocalMatch. She has ensured that nonprofits receive free booth space both in the Half Moon Bay and in the Pacifica Wednesday market locations. She’s also one of the founders of the HEAL Project which works with more than 1,700 students throughout the county to develop lifelong healthy eating habits and provides access to a 2.5 acre School Farm in El Granada. Healthy and sustainable food systems are Erin’s passion, and she’s served on the San Mateo County Food System Alliance as an inaugural member.

Members of nonprofit organizations who exemplify outstanding volunteer work to benefit the community are eligible for this honor. Past recipients include Judy Macias, whose most recent project is Village of the Coastside; Dr. Michael Klass, the volunteer Administrative Coordinator of the San Mateo County Coastside Medical Reserve Corps; Judy O’Leary, Director of Coastside Hope; Eric and Alice DeBode, Kelly Avenue Catholic Worker organization; and Sue Heckman, Coastside Adult Day Health Center.

The award will be presented and the four finalists honored at the Magic of the Coastside at the IDES Hall on April 2nd. This event is the Rotary Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year and will be a salute to Mardi Gras, with Dixieland jazz by the Blue Street Jazz Band, appetizers, dinner, and silent auction. The major beneficiary of this year’s event is the Purple Heart Anglers and will specifically fund a fishing trip for 30 disabled local veterans. A fun and casual event at $75/ticket, money raised also supports other local and global causes. Tickets and more details are available at http://www.rotaryofhalfmoonbay.com/

The Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay is one of 34,000 clubs around the world and is proud to be a supporter of the Purple Heart Anglers. Rotary International’s signature cause is the eradication of polio, and the end is in sight with just two countries in the world with endemic cases. The Half Moon Bay Club meets each Thursday for lunch at the Portuguese Center at 724 Kelly Street in downtown Half Moon Bay.

Contact Mary Corcoran, Public Relations Chairperson, at mcorcoranhmb@gmail.com or 650-218-0436.

(Image via Shutterstock)