September 20, 2011
By Nate Beutel
Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA FALLS - Speaking
to an audience largely her senior inside the Cascades Room at Conference Center
Niagara Falls, 20-year old Desiree Wiley of Lockport properly summed up an
evening full of smiles, stories and inspiration.
"Those 22 Miss New York candidates have nothing on you women," the reigning
Miss Buffalo said Tuesday upon receiving the Youth Award at the YWCA of
Niagara's 2011 Niagara Awards: A Tribute to Women. "You're all an inspiration
to me and the entire community."
Wiley was one of 36 candidates for eight awards at the event, which was
attended by more than 500 and emceed by Channel 7's Joanna Pasceri.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Eunice Hernberger,
a 96-year old Lockport resident who has spent years volunteering for countless
organizations.
"Here is a recent quote from Eunice: 'I still can't say no to volunteering ... as long as I get a ride,' " presenter Paul DePlato said before Hernberger
addressed the crowd on the importance of self-education and friendship while
volunteering.
For the first time since the Niagara Awards' inception in 1997 there were
co-winners of the Entrepreneur Award. Niagara Falls' Veronica Mason and
Lewiston's Kristen Richards were the award recipients. Mason is a nurse
practitioner and owner of Mason Family Medicine. Richards is the owner of White
Glove Commercial Cleaning/After the Fire Remediation.
The Education Award went to Niagara Falls' Jill Shuey,
the executive director of Niagara University's ReNU
Niagara.
The Frontline Award was given to Kari Walck of
Niagara Falls, the City of Niagara Falls' parking court clerk.
Lockport's Molly Maigret, the SANE coordinator at
Eastern Niagara Hospital, won the Health and Human Services Award.
Robyn Krueger of Lockport, the executive director of the Community Missions of
Niagara Frontier Inc., took home the Management Award.
The winner of the Public Service Award was Niagara Falls' Joanne Lorenzo,
director of The Magdalene Project.
The rest of the nominees were: Christine Argona,
Kristine Augustyniak, Melissa Carson, Tanyetta Carter, Mary Cipolla,
Michele DeLuca, Brenda Dunn, Patricia Evans, Dawn Gilliam, Ivy Anne Grissom,
Sharon Hewner, Jennifer Hull-Braun, Renae Kimble, Tasha LeFevre,
Honor Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Theresa Moley, Brande Newsome, Dolores Pereira, Deborah Sarratori, Nancy Schmidt, Ellen Schratz,
Holly Sloma, Diane Vitello,
Patricia White, Patricia Wrobel and Myrna Young.
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