THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 10, 1994 TAG: 9406090207
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HEIDI GLICK, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: 940610 LENGTH: Medium
The man, whom Madison believes was a coach from another school, remembered seeing her sell tickets for a Tallwood High School fund-raiser.
{REST} She chuckled at the memory and said a lot of people associate her with Tallwood High.
That's understandable.
Madison, the mother of two Tallwood students, volunteers at least two nights a week at the school, four nights a week during basketball season. Most of the time she can be seen in the concession stand, pouring drinks and selling hot dogs and popcorn.
``People know me from being in a concession stand,'' she said.
But what many people don't know is Madison was recently chosen as Volunteer of the Year for secondary schools.
Besides holding down a full-time job as an administrative assistant with Social Security, she is actively involved in band, athletic and academic booster clubs, doing everything from selling tickets and working the concession stands to chaperoning road trips and even serving as the unofficial announcer for the celebrity basketball game.
``I don't think anyone in this school system has given more time to the school than Sandra Madison,'' said Bernard Morgan, principal of Tallwood. ``She's never said no to anything we've asked her to do.''
Even in the community, Madison is an ardent volunteer, working on the recent Afr'Am Fest and for the Tidewater Down Syndrome Association. And although she never attended Norfolk State University, she helps out with the alumni association.
Madison started volunteering for Tallwood even before the school opened two years ago. Morgan held pre-opening meetings to encourage parents to get involved in the school. His welcoming attitude inspired Madison. But even before the meetings she was determined to get involved with the school.
``I made it a goal that I would get involved in operations of the school,'' she said. She attended the pre-opening meetings, went to PTA meetings and basically helped start a lot of the organizations.
Among other things she has been membership chairman, secretary and newsletter editor of the band boosters and for two years was treasurer of the athletic boosters. Next year she will be president of the athletic boosters.
She said her sons, Andre Hayes, a junior in the marching band, and Vance Hayes, a sophomore on the basketball team, were uncomfortable at first with her being at school so much. But now it would be odd for them if she wasn't around.
She really likes the ties she has with the parents, staff and especially the students. ``I treat all of those kids just like they're my kids,'' she said. ``They call me `Mom.' ''
She plans to continue volunteering for a long time - even after her children graduate. Recently, she met an older couple who volunteer for Tallwood, yet never had children who attended the school.
``If you're a true volunteer, you'll do that whether you have children or not,'' she said. ``They can count on that from me.''
by CNB