Awards dinner raises money for youth programs
The Hollister Youth Alliance will recognize three residents with
its 2011 Community Hero award April 1, at San Juan Oaks Golf Club,
located at 3825 Union Road in Hollister.
This year marks the fourth year the HYA has hosted the event,
with proceeds benefitting Youth Alliance youth services such as the
CASA after school programs, school-based counseling programs, Cara
y Corazon parent outreach programs and more.
This year’s honorees include Yolanda Leon, Zeke Lopez and
Richard Vasquez, who were nominated for their dedication and hard
work in the community.
Awards dinner raises money for youth programs
The Hollister Youth Alliance will recognize three residents with its 2011 Community Hero award April 1, at San Juan Oaks Golf Club, located at 3825 Union Road in Hollister.
This year marks the fourth year the HYA has hosted the event, with proceeds benefitting Youth Alliance youth services such as the CASA after school programs, school-based counseling programs, Cara y Corazon parent outreach programs and more.
This year’s honorees include Yolanda Leon, Zeke Lopez and Richard Vasquez, who were nominated for their dedication and hard work in the community.
Vasquez became a police officer in 1979, working in San Juan Bautista. He has served the community for 30 years, recently retiring as a captain from the Hollister Police Department.
After he retired, he started volunteering with the San Benito County probation department as a mentor coordinator who connects juveniles on probation with adult role models in the community. According to his nomination form, he “brings a vast amount of knowledge and skills in helping our youth in SBC…Mr. Vasquez has caught the vision of service and is a fine example to our youth.”
Also honored is Zeke Lopez, who works with younger people at the Bulldog Boxing Gym. According to his nomination form, “Youth look up to him as a trustworthy man. Parents know him for teaching their kids and other youth in the community.” Lopez has been working with young people for 20 years.
Yolanda Leon has worked in the community for 30 years as a social worker and is currently a probation officer for San Benito County. She was chosen as the probation officer of the year for the state of California in the 1990s.
“She was born and raised in Hollister and attended local schools,” read a statement from her nomination form. “She graduated from San Jose State University in the 1980s and has been working very hard to improve our community and the lot of many children and families ever since. Her story is that of the ‘local girl makes good’ because she has managed to touch so many lives in her years of service here. She continues to work to effect positive change and is always ready to connect and collaborate with any and all local agencies to bring services and changes for the community.”
This year, a younger leader will also be honored at the Community Hero event. Anaid Godoy, who has been working as a change team leader on the Dunne Park Restoration Project, will receive the Inspiration Award, “for her determination and qualities as a role model for all young people. Anaid is a true testament of how one person, if they believe, can overcome any challenge to make a difference in their community,” according to a press release.
“The Youth Alliance is proud to honor these individuals who remind us of the difference one person can make in a child’s life,” said Diane Ortiz, the executive director of HYA.
Community Hero Awards
