LIVING TREASURES OF LOS ALAMOS NEWS
The board of the Living Treasures of Los Alamos has selected three Treasures for 2020, and they hope you will save the date for the ceremony. The honorees for this year’s celebration are Linda Burns, Don Casperson, and Lois Eddleman. This year, nominees will be honored on April 26 at 2 p.m. at the Betty Ehart Senior Center.
The Living Treasures of Los Alamos will celebrate its 21st anniversary, continuing the 1999 vision of Rosalie Heller and Karen Nilsson Brandt. The program assembled an all-volunteer board and the work began to seek out the first treasurers for our community. The board wanted to honor senior citizens who have worked to build community. The first event was held in April 1999, when Winifred Amsden, Alice and Foster Evans, and Betty Lillienthal were recognized for their contributions.
The nomination process is challenging, but the results are stellar contributions of service, time, and talent. These contributions have helped to form the very foundation of Los Alamos, and often have created many of the long-standing programs we know today. The history and stories of each nominee will be captured and highlighted for the 2020 ceremony.
“It was time to celebrate the enormous role that so many of the community’s senior citizens had contributed to by publicly acknowledging their innumerable volunteer efforts,” said Karen Nilsson Brandt, co-founder of the program. “The public is invited to attend the Living Treasures ceremony, where stories and memories are shared. Brandt and Kyle Wheeler, along with Robert Thomsen and Sally Wilkins, have served for many years. Pamela Massey joined the board a year ago and the newest board members are Karen Easton, John FitzPatrick, Wayne Hardie, and Kate O’Donnell.
“Our board has a large pool of nominations to choose from, and this is always a difficult decision to make,” said board Chair Kyle Wheeler. “The three people selected for 2020 have a long-time commitment to serving the community as dedicated volunteers, which is a common theme for all of the people selected. This year’s awardees have all made significant contributions.”
You can learn more about the Los Alamos Living Treasures program, see all the honorees, learn about the nominations process, or make donations by visiting the organization’s website at www.losalamoslivingtreasurers.org. A special tribute to Rosalie Heller, has been added to the website and Heller’s contributions will also be highlighted in a new addition to the Living Treasurers display.