By AUBRIE GEORGE | The Moorestown Sun
Do you know a Moorestonian who exemplifies service to the community and makes the township a better place to live?
That person could be Moorestown’s next Citizen of the Year.
The Moorestown Service Club Council, comprised of members from the Moorestown Rotary Breakfast Club, the Moorestown Rotary Lunch Club, The Moorestown Lions Club and The Moorestown Y Men’s Club, is now seeking nominations for the award until Dec. 1.
Members are seeking to recognize a Moorestown resident, who, through various community service activities, has significantly contributed to the quality of life in the Moorestown community.
“The person is ultimately selected for their community service,” said George Gravenstine, chair of this year’s event. “Depending on what they do in town — maybe it’s from several donations they’ve made over the years or groups they might have been involved with.”
This Moorestown tradition, which has been running since 1954, is organized and run by the Moorestown Service Council. Each year, on a rotating basis, one of the four service groups is chosen to be the lead agency for the event and a person from that group is picked as the chair.
This year, the event is being lead by The Moorestown Rotary Breakfast Club, of which Gravenstine is a member.
A committee is formed out of members from all four of the groups, and those members will ultimately decide who becomes Moorestown’s next citizen of the year, Gravenstine said.
Any Moorestown resident is eligible for nomination. The person chosen will be in good standing with and very involved in the Moorestown community, Gravenstine said.
Nominations are due on Dec. 1 and the committee will meet on Dec. 7 to choose a winner, Gravenstine said.
“All of the forms are reviewed and we simply continue going through them until we whittle it down to one person,” Gravenstine said.
From there, the person is asked if they will accept the award and, if they chose to accept, they will be honored with a dinner and ceremony at Merion Caters scheduled for Feb. 3.
The service council contacts local legislators and asks them to attend the event to speak about the winner. In addition, the winner is asked to bring two guests to speak about them during the ceremony.
The net proceeds from the dinner provide a scholarship to an outstanding student citizen who is selected by school officials at Moorestown High School, Gravenstine said.
Once the 2010 Moorestown Citizen of the Year is announced, tickets for $45 will go on sale at various locations around town, including the Community House. The service groups involved will also promote the event and sell tickets.
Nomination forms for 2010 candidates are now being accepted and should include information about the person’s activities in volunteering service to the Moorestown community, its citizens and its organizations.
Service given to other communities in Burlington and other counties, as well as the state and nation may also be included.
Nomination forms are now available and can be picked up at various locations and stores around town, including The Moorestown Community House, which is located at 16 E. Main St.
