Anderson earns Madison Award

By John Rothberg
Special to The Eagle
Published: June 5, 2008

Frank Anderson is the winner of the Madison County Lions Club’s 18th annual Madison Award.

The award is intended to recognize and encourage outstanding voluntary service in Madison County. While the award is presented each year to one outstanding individual, it honors all those who are part of the community of caring in Madison County.

At the May 27 awards ceremony at Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria, Lions Club First Vice President Jack Melone presented Frank Anderson with a plaque. The award also comes with cash contributions made by the Lions Club to agencies chosen by the winner. Anderson chose to split the amount between Madison County Habitat for Humanity and the Brightwood Ruritan Club.

Brightwood Ruritan Club President Jim Gaines introduced the guest speaker – Fred Creasy, the zone governor of Ruritan International. Creasy illustrated the high priority that the Madison Award winner accorded to community betterment by citing the 360 hours of service he volunteered in 2007 alone.

Anderson has had a perfect attendance record during his 36 years as a member of the Brightwood Ruritan Club and was the club’s No. 1 recruiter and a leading fund-raiser. A long list of instances of his donated time includes three or four trips each month taking trash to the transfer station for Madison Emergency Services Association (MESA).

Madison County Habitat for Humanity President Don Gerhart noted that his organization “could always count on Frank – whether it was building houses, selling daffodils or raising money.”

Previous Madison Award winners who were present included, Alice Van Wart, Michael Hale, William and Florence Harris, Patricia Brummett, Oliver Utz, John Fray, Hazel Blankenbaker Jones, Jack Fray and Russell Lohr.

Ethan and Hannah Wagner – the local Bland Music Contest winners – provided the music for the May 27 event playing cello and violin.