ORANGE PARK – Twelve Clay County seniors who have been named finalists will be honored in the 9th Annual Golden Years Gala.

Sponsored by Shepherd’s Center of Orange Park, the winners will be announced May 4 at 8:30 a.m. at Club Continental. Four men are vying for the honor of Volunteer Senior Man of the Year and four women are vying for Volunteer Senior Woman of the Year. Four nominees are also up for Lifetime Achievement Awards for their years of volunteer community service. Sen. Aaron Bean(R-Fernandina Beach) will serve as live auctioneer with First Coast News Reporter Ken Amaro serving as emcee.

The gala’s title sponsor is The Allegro on Fleming Windsor and is hosted by Elder Source with proceeds to benefit The Shepherd’s Center of Orange Park, a nonprofit that provides services to improve the quality of life and longer independence of hundreds of senior adults in Clay County through educational health and wellness programming. For individual ticket donations of $50, contact (904) 993-3133.

Lifetime Achievement finalists

Lillian Bell has been a member of the Orange Park Kiwanis Club and Rotary Club of Orange Park for a combined 20-plus years having served in such roles as secretary, treasurer and president and has received the Club’s “Four-Way Test Award” for her positive outlook. Along with taking part in street cleanup days and volunteering at Gator Bowl football games, her most significant project is the Clay County Science Fair having convinced Rotary to take it on as one of its projects. She is involved in its planning, organizing, coordinating, scheduling, set-up and post-event cleanup. A six-year Shepherd’s Center board member, she has served as secretary and chairperson.

Pearl Boles has a list of accomplishments that span 25 years in service to the less fortunate. Her accomplishments include founding “Mother’s Day Out” which is now “Wonder Works” at Orange Park United Methodist Church, The Good Samaritan Ministry at OPUMC, Mercy Support member, board Mmember at Penney Retirement Community and numerous pastoral services for non-church members offering at no cost funerals, weddings and counseling. She has dedicated a lifetime to helping others and touching all of Clay County’s neediest citizens, finding solutions to make their lives better.

Betty Koontz has volunteered for years with such organizations as The Clothes Closet, Orange Park Presbyterian Church, Sew & Sews, Nicaragua Mission Trip and the Life Care Center at Wells Crossing. She completes as task with a smile and a pleasant attitude. Her sewing talents are renowned having made quilts for the Clothes Closet, for fundraisers, clothing for children in Africa and costumes for church pageants. She organized a group to assist in giving birthday parties for the residents at the Life Care Center.

Russ Megonegal At the age of 94, it seems there is not a nonprofit in Clay County for which Russ has not volunteered or helped. He has served at Penney Retirement Community, J.P. Hall Children’s Charities, The Food Pantry of Green Cove Springs, Rotary Club of Green Cove Springs, Republican Executive Committee, Clay County Planning and Zoning Commission, St. Vincent’s Clay County, Hibernia Oaks Homeowner’s Association and First Presbyterian Church in Green Cove Springs. He is a member of the Military Officers’ Association, U.S. Air Force Association, American Legion, Florida Post, Orlando, US. Coast Guard Auxiliary and Phi Delta Kappa International Education Fraternity.

Man of the Year finalists

Dr. Gregory Archambault saw the enormous need to build a free dental clinic for the uninsured of Clay County more than eight years ago. Gregory works full time four days a week and goes to the clinic on his days off to serve Clay County patients. If he feels a patient will need a lengthy treatment he sees them in his office in place of a paying patient. He attends Clay County Dental Association meetings and constantly recruits dentists to join the clinic. Since opening, the clinic has helped more than 3,700 patients and provided services.

Leroy Armacost has volunteered for Community Hospice since September 2013 where he began as an Ambassador helping to educate the community about hospice. In 2014, he added Pet Therapy volunteer to his resume as he and his dachshund, Dashy, became a registered pet therapy team. He maintains a “case load” of seven patients, which he visits weekly. Shortly after retiring, he became a volunteer so he could “make a difference.”

Mike DelPizzo makes and provides handmade wooden urns for deceased veterans whose remains are often stored in cardboard boxes and forgotten. By partnering with the “Missing In America Project,” he makes sure veterans receive a proper burial with the dignity they deserve. Mike also honors veterans at the end of their life at Haven Hospice with a final salute and pinning ceremony. He provided iron garden signs to honor the six branches of military in the garden at Haven Hospice. Mike has made 250 urns that take hours to create.

David Quirk and his wife moved to Penney Retirement Community in 2008, since that time he has provided almost 1500 volunteer hours every year. David serves on PRC’s board of directors, volunteered at the USO Center in Jacksonville International Airport and the Honor Flight Program. A 31-year U.S. Navy veteran, Dave has also helped PRC residents apply for military benefits they would otherwise not receive. After recognizing the need to identify and honor veterans at PRC, he worked with others to publish “Military Memories.”

Woman of the Year finalists

Ann Hernandez is a member and volunteer at the Dye-Clay YMCA. Ann uses her sewing skills to assist others in the Quilts of Valor program for veterans. Always ready to help with senior luncheons, special events and bake sales, she has volunteered at schools where she has taught art, tutored students in math and donated more than $1,000 from selling her handmade items at school fundraisers.

Leslie Rickabaugh has served as a volunteer board member for the Council on Aging of Clay County for several years with the past two years as its board president. Leslie has successfully redirected the effort of the CCOA board to focus on creative fundraising techniques, which has increased the amount of donations to the agency by 20 percent.

Suzanne Tower serves as secretary and takes minutes at the Clay County Chapter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees, at the Florida Aero Club and the Shepherd’s Center of Orange Park. She is also active in the Pilot Club of Orange Park, co-chair of the Golden Years Gala Nomination Committee, Clay County Senior Adult Advocacy Council Annual Barbecue, Moose Promenade’s Square Dance Club and the 2015 Cowford Ball and she donates platelets monthly to assist cancer patients.

Doris Wellner serves as first vice president of Orange Park Medical Center’s Auxiliary where she has been a volunteer since 2008. During her tenure, the auxiliary has grown by more than 50 percent. She serves as treasurer of her homeowner’s association and volunteers at the Clothes Closet and Pink Ribbon Symposium. She is a member of Clay County Chamber of Commerce, the ACE Team at OPMC and St. Giles Presbyterian Church. Doris exudes happiness and does all task with a pleasant smile and demeanor.