FLEMING - Seven members of the community were honored Wednesday at the Springside Inn for their commitment to people with disabilities.
Options for Independence, a local agency that provides information and referral services to individuals with disabilities, held its annual luncheon awards ceremony, where people were recognized for advocate of the year, a community service award, volunteer of the year and a special recognition award.
“We wanted to honor people and businesses in our community who empower people with disabilities,” said Tracy Murphy, executive director of Options for Independence. “The people we honor are the unsung heroes of the community.”
The main categories - advocate of the year, volunteer of the year and the community service award - are nominated by the consumers.
Then, the planning committee takes the nominations and the board has the final vote.
A staff member of Options for Independence nominates someone for the special recognition award, and then the nomination goes through the same process as the other categories.
The seven people and businesses that were honored are Florence Smith, Linda Murphy, Bill Lupien, First Niagara Bank, Nucor Steel, Todd Coleman and Gary Perkins, who received a posthumous award.
Florence Smith, who received a volunteer of the year award, has been at every community event this past year, Murphy said.
“She puts her heart and soul into it,” she said.
Linda Murphy was recognized for being an advocate for the community “for her hard work as a Cayuga County legislator and all of the community service that she performs,” Murphy said.
“I do my work because of my passion for it,” Linda Murphy said after accepting her award.
City superintendent of engineering services Bill Lupien received the second advocate of the year award.
“For him, it's about making Auburn a better place to live,” said Collin Sullivan, ADA and access advocate for Options for Independence.
Sullivan presented Lupien with his award.
First Niagara Bank and Nucor Steel both accepted community service awards.
“They're truly committed to what we do,” Murphy said about First Niagara Bank.
The bank has been a longtime supporter of community organizations as well as scholarships for Options for Disabilities, she said.
Coleman from C&S Companies in Syracuse received the special recognition award. Coleman was nominated by Murphy for “going well above and beyond to provide assistance to a person with a disability,” she said.
“Honestly, I don't think I deserve it,” Coleman said. “It's just an unexpected honor.”
None of the recipients knew that they would be receiving an award Wednesday. They believed they were attending a luncheon.
Mike Keller, who accepted the community service award on behalf of Nucor Steel, said it's a great feeling to be able to give back to the community.
“This is a community that many of us live in and I just feel very blessed that we're in a position to be able to give back and help organizations like this,” he said.
Smith, who received one of the volunteer of the year awards, was overwhelmed and did not expect this at all, she said.
And Perkins, who was honored posthumously, was recognized for being a volunteer of the year.
His aunt and former Options for Independence board chairperson Betty Palega talked about Perkins and why he deserved the award.
“It's a real honor to have been asked to give this award to a real gentleman of independent living,” Palega said.
Perkins, who was the treasurer for the Options for Independence board, had a heart condition since he was in his late 40s.
After he started having mobility problems, he moved back to the farm that he was raised on, Palega said. Perkins continued cooking, which is what he loved and what he had done all of his life.
He also planted a garden despite the trouble he had bending down to tend to the vegetables.
“All of that led to him wanting to do a little bit more and that's when he began doing some volunteerism at the hospital, and that certainly led to him doing some more things at Options for Independence,” she said.
Perkins' wife Carol Witchey said she was surprised that he was honored with the volunteer of the year award.
“I think he deserves it,” Witchey said. “He's a good person and he liked to help people.”
Perkins passed away while he was waiting for a heart transplant.
“To me, he was the epitome of what independent living means,” Palega said. “He always acted as an individual. He lived his life optimally as an independent person, he made his own choices, he wanted to be integrated into his community, which he certainly was, and he wanted to be productive.”
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
List of honorees
Seven people were honored with awards from Options for Independence. Two people received a volunteer of the year award, two people received an advocate of the year award, two businesses received a community service award and one person received a special recognition award:
• Florence Smith - volunteer of the year
• Gary Perkins (posthumously) - volunteer of the year
• Linda Murphy - advocate of the year
• Bill Lupien - advocate of the year
• First Niagara Bank - community service
• Nucor Steel - community service
• Todd Coleman - special recognition
“We wanted to honor people and businesses in our community who empower people with disabilities,” said Tracy Murphy, executive director of Options for Independence. “The people we honor are the unsung heroes of the community.”
The main categories - advocate of the year, volunteer of the year and the community service award - are nominated by the consumers.
Then, the planning committee takes the nominations and the board has the final vote.
A staff member of Options for Independence nominates someone for the special recognition award, and then the nomination goes through the same process as the other categories.
The seven people and businesses that were honored are Florence Smith, Linda Murphy, Bill Lupien, First Niagara Bank, Nucor Steel, Todd Coleman and Gary Perkins, who received a posthumous award.
Florence Smith, who received a volunteer of the year award, has been at every community event this past year, Murphy said.
“She puts her heart and soul into it,” she said.
Linda Murphy was recognized for being an advocate for the community “for her hard work as a Cayuga County legislator and all of the community service that she performs,” Murphy said.
“I do my work because of my passion for it,” Linda Murphy said after accepting her award.
City superintendent of engineering services Bill Lupien received the second advocate of the year award.
“For him, it's about making Auburn a better place to live,” said Collin Sullivan, ADA and access advocate for Options for Independence.
Sullivan presented Lupien with his award.
First Niagara Bank and Nucor Steel both accepted community service awards.
“They're truly committed to what we do,” Murphy said about First Niagara Bank.
The bank has been a longtime supporter of community organizations as well as scholarships for Options for Disabilities, she said.
Coleman from C&S Companies in Syracuse received the special recognition award. Coleman was nominated by Murphy for “going well above and beyond to provide assistance to a person with a disability,” she said.
“Honestly, I don't think I deserve it,” Coleman said. “It's just an unexpected honor.”
None of the recipients knew that they would be receiving an award Wednesday. They believed they were attending a luncheon.
Mike Keller, who accepted the community service award on behalf of Nucor Steel, said it's a great feeling to be able to give back to the community.
“This is a community that many of us live in and I just feel very blessed that we're in a position to be able to give back and help organizations like this,” he said.
Smith, who received one of the volunteer of the year awards, was overwhelmed and did not expect this at all, she said.
And Perkins, who was honored posthumously, was recognized for being a volunteer of the year.
His aunt and former Options for Independence board chairperson Betty Palega talked about Perkins and why he deserved the award.
“It's a real honor to have been asked to give this award to a real gentleman of independent living,” Palega said.
Perkins, who was the treasurer for the Options for Independence board, had a heart condition since he was in his late 40s.
After he started having mobility problems, he moved back to the farm that he was raised on, Palega said. Perkins continued cooking, which is what he loved and what he had done all of his life.
He also planted a garden despite the trouble he had bending down to tend to the vegetables.
“All of that led to him wanting to do a little bit more and that's when he began doing some volunteerism at the hospital, and that certainly led to him doing some more things at Options for Independence,” she said.
Perkins' wife Carol Witchey said she was surprised that he was honored with the volunteer of the year award.
“I think he deserves it,” Witchey said. “He's a good person and he liked to help people.”
Perkins passed away while he was waiting for a heart transplant.
“To me, he was the epitome of what independent living means,” Palega said. “He always acted as an individual. He lived his life optimally as an independent person, he made his own choices, he wanted to be integrated into his community, which he certainly was, and he wanted to be productive.”
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
List of honorees
Seven people were honored with awards from Options for Independence. Two people received a volunteer of the year award, two people received an advocate of the year award, two businesses received a community service award and one person received a special recognition award:
• Florence Smith - volunteer of the year
• Gary Perkins (posthumously) - volunteer of the year
• Linda Murphy - advocate of the year
• Bill Lupien - advocate of the year
• First Niagara Bank - community service
• Nucor Steel - community service
• Todd Coleman - special recognition
