Legendary Volunteers Recognized at City Hall – Over $20K Donated
“It’s wonderful that there’s actually a group of people out there recognizing people that don’t get recognized. People do this … they do it for the benefit of everybody. I think it’s the way the people are brought up, their nature.”
– Don Saegert
After a year where RecognizeGood celebrated its 150th volunteer Legend honoree and topped $400,000 in charity donations celebrating those volunteers, the 15th annual Say Thanks Austin Campaign’s closing ceremony at City Hall today certainly felt like a milestone for the program.
Nearly 70,000 acts of gratitude were contributed to the ten 2024 volunteer Legends across the month of January – via text, email, social media, web and paper form – and in a time when uplifting stories are more valuable than ever, it’s safe to say you could feel the love in Council Chambers today. With a $10,000 donation on the line, each of the teams rallied their troops all month long and most importantly, the amazing community servants who have proven to go above and beyond for others felt every ounce of that gratitude!
After a video message from RecognizeGood’s board chair Bobby Jenkins and a brief welcome from executive director Joel Coffman, hosts Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis and Judy Maggio of ATX Good News announced the results of the campaign and presented checks to each honoree. All honorees also received an official Certificate of Appreciate from the City of Austin, signed by Mayor Kirk Watson.
Mickey Perkins of Schoolyard Dogs in Wimberley received the $10,000 donation, flanked by her son Jasper and teammate Noah. Cynthia Ferrell received a $5,000 donation to Milam Adult Resource Center (MARC) in Rockdale, while Don Saegert took a $2,500 donation back to Drive A Senior ATX. All the other Legend honorees received a $500 donation as well:
- Ricardo Zavala for Mas Cultura
- Vicki Matustik for Oak Hill United Methodist
- Cheryl White for The Dog Alliance
- Drake Trotter for Lone Star Paralysis Foundation
- Kevin Hines for Wonders & Worries
- David & Lynn Ashley for Therapy Pet Pals of Texas
- Diana Lindsey for Backpack Friends
Highlights included memorable remarks from Don Saegert, Mickey Perkins and her teammate (donning the infamous hot dog costume) Noah as he told the filled room about how meaningful his job was with Schoolyard Dogs. Ricardo Zavala also stole the show when seemingly his entire Leadership Austin class appeared to support him!
