One of our five affiliate partners, the Clintonville Area Foundation (CAF), has bestowed its 2019 Community Heroes Award on local volunteer Ralph Williams. The award ceremony was part of the Foundation’s annual fundraiser, The Art of Living/Giving, held at the Perform Clintonville Riverside Golf Course.

Here is a slideshow from the event. Click the arrows to scroll through the photos:

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Established in 2011 by Clintonville native Dan Olk, the award recognizes and celebrates outstanding volunteers and their activities in Clintonville-area communities. The award comes with $2,000 for the winner to donate to local charities of his or her choice.

Saturday’s Community Heroes Award is not the first award given to Williams for his volunteer spirit. Previous commemorations of his contributions for more than 40 years, especially to the youth, have come from the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes; St. Rose Parish for his Boy Scouts work; The Vietnam Veterans of America through its “Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Outstanding Achievement Award”; Navarino Nature Center for special programming on wilderness survival; Greentree Health and Rehab Center for his liturgical service, reconstructing picnic tables, and building a large cross for worship there (one also went to Pine Manor); multiple certificates of appreciation for annual service to the American Legion Post 63; for several years an annual school district-wide award for outstanding contributions to teaching at the Middle School; Cenex Tanks of Thanks for neighborly service; and the Clintonville Rotary Club for its 2016 Volunteer of the Year award.

“These awards demonstrate the breadth, high quality, and longevity of this recipient’s contributions to the greater Clintonville area. In summary, one nominator wrote, ‘He just plain makes himself available to the needs of the community,” says Olk. “I believe that Ralph has made his life a worship to God, and Clintonville has benefited from that gift.’”

Williams will be donating his $2,000 to the Clintonville Lions Al Mattson Wheelchair Ramp Foundation, established in memory of long-time member Al Mattson and his leadership in the club’s signature project of constructing and installing ramps for those in need. Williams is chairperson of the Lion’s committee responsible for the ramp service project.