THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407070210
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 57 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH
STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 145 lines
THE 1990s, social commentators said, would mark the end of the ``Me Decade,'' 10 self-absorbed, self-serving, self-promoting what's-in-it-for-me years, when Wall Street insiders and savings and loan speculators contended greed was good.
The '90s were to end all that, giving way to a kinder, gentler nation. The headlines, full of drive-by shootings, mass ethnic genocide, and horrific civil wars, scream that a gentler time may be just a dream.
But four residents of the Outer Banks - Belva Weeks, Daniel Selby, Fran Ries and Ann Tugwell - are doing something to make the world a nicer place.
They will be honored this fall by Gov. James Hunt as recipients of the Governor's Award for Outstanding Community Service. From working with Girl Scouts guarding a busy crossing for school kids, each is trying to make a difference, one life at a time.
``It's really a great thing for our county to have four nominees,'' said Dare County Voluntary Action Center director Bonnie Brown. ``All of our volunteers are special, but recognition like this is just more proof that one person can make a difference.''
The Action Center is a non-profit organization which promotes volunteerism in the county. The organization, based in Kill Devil Hills, provides coordinating, training and consulting services to non-profit organizations.
Formed in 1984, DVAC serves as a clearinghouse for volunteer services in Dare County, and provides information on the various organizations to prospective volunteers. DVAC raises funds through corporate and private funding, as well as public and private grants.
Top volunteers across the state are honored every year. Here are profiles of the four award winners in Dare County this year:
Belva Weeks: At Manteo's Fourth of July celebration, it came as little surprise that Belva Weeks won the award for the gaudiest hat in a tacky hat contest. ``Don't worry,'' the master of ceremonies told her. ``Gaudy is good.''
Gaudy is especially good for the children of Manteo Elementary School. As Dare County's only crossing guard, Weeks is an unforgetable sight for motorists traveling Highway 64 through Manteo.
She often dresses in glittery outfits befitting a star of the Grand Ole Opry.
Her costumes change with the seasons. She dresses for the holidays, as Santa Claus at Christmas or as a witch on Halloween.
But the joy she brings to the children rose from the ashes of a personal tragedy. Her only son was playing on a frozen pond, when the ice cracked and he drowned.
But instead of turning inward, Weeks has found strength through helping children.
``She comforts many children by being there as a friend,'' Manteo resident Jane Neri wrote in her nomination form. ``At times, she gives less fortunate children a light breakfast. Belva also takes children home who are hurt or late and whose parents can't pick them up.''
Weeks also played a major role in the construction of a sidewalk on Burnside Road near Manteo Elementary.
Along with her school activities she visits different pre-schools, the Festival of Trees, and Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters dressed as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. She is also a volunteer for Dare County's Special Olympics.
Weeks also works with the elderly, visiting residents at Britthaven Nursing Home.
Daniel Selby: ``Role model'' is a phrase used perhaps too often used, but according to Kevin Zorc of the Dare County Friends of Youth, the term fits Daniel Selby. Selby works as a big brother in Dare County Friends of Youth as a court-appointed adult mentor to youngsters who have had a brush with the law. He spends more than the required four hours per week with the youngsters.
Selby, a 31-year-old employee of the Town of Manteo, is also a strong ambassador for the Friends of Youth.
``He is really active in the community,'' said Bonnie Bennett, program assistant for the organization. ``He goes out and speaks to groups and to individuals about the program. It's one thing for us to talk about the successes that our mentors have, but it's quite another when people can hear it straight from the horse's mouth. It helps in giving us publicity, but it also helps to convince those people who have been thinking about getting involved in our program.''
Ann Tugwell: There is a verse in the Bible that says simply, ``To whom much is given, much is required.''
Ann Tugwell has taken that verse to heart, helping those who are often forgotten by society.
``I feel that since I've been given so much, there is something required of me,'' she said from her Manteo home. Tugwell indeed does something, and then more.
For more than three decades, she has been an active member of Mount Olivet United Methodist Church in Manteo. At 76, a time when most folks slow down, Tugwell is going full speed. One day per month, she delivers hot lunches as part of the Meals on Wheels program.
``I get more joy out of working in the Meals on Wheels program than anything else I do,'' she said. ``I go in and say, `I've got lunch ready for you,' and we visit for a while. They always say thank you for the food and the visit. That `thank you' means so much.''
Tugwell works in a variety of other activities to help senior citizens. At church activities for seniors, Tugwell provides transportation for those in need. She's a volunteer at a Nutrition Site, where those able to get out can eat lunch in the church's fellowship hall.
Mount Olivet is often the location for a local blood drive. Tugwell works as a volunteer at those drives, serving refreshments to donors.
She is also active in keeping the church pantry filled, and is on call for when there is a request for help. She assists families in picking out canned goods, and she often drives those families to the store to buy perishables, diapers and other items.
Active in United Methodist Women, Tugwell is a frequent visitor to Britthaven Nursing Home.
``Sometimes it's sad to see people who you know who were once so active, who have trouble doing for themselves. But we're fortunate to have a place like Britthaven.''
News of the Governor's Award took Tugwell by surprise.
``There were so many people who deserve it more than I,'' she said. ``I was very honored and thankful.''
Fran Ries: When Fran Ries' three daughters were growing up in the Evanston-Chicago, Ill., area, all were active in Girl Scouting.
``I totaled it up, and it came to about 25 years,'' said Ries, 69, who now lives in Kill Devil Hills. ``I felt I needed to give something back.''
When Girl Scouts began in Dare County, Ries got involved for another reason as well.
``I was interested in cookies,'' said Ries, a fan of the famous chocolate mint treats. ``I buy a case every year and put them in the freezer, and I limit myself to two a day.''
There is a more eternal reason for her involvement.
``I believe in what they stand for,'' she said. ``It's one of the few places left that believe in the phrase `on your honor.' The concept of honor and doing the right thing is more and more becoming a concept that is lost.''
A former Girl Scout leader, Ries has served as head of the local cookie drive and as registrar for the local Scout group.
``I told them I didn't want to be a leader, I just wanted to be a warm body, and help out where I was needed.''
When informed of her award, Ries' respose was, ``Oh no, please not that. I don't do this for awards. I do this because I enjoy helping.''
The awards are given on a statewide basis to honor outstanding community volunteers. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Belva Weeks, a volunteer crossing guard for Manteo Elementary
School, wears costumes on special occasions. But this one has a
drawback: She can't sit on the feather duster tail.
by CNB