| Missy Yanez, one of the team leaders for the East Carbon MVP team is picutred escorting a young man into the gym at the recent Castle Valley prom. The East Carbon Group won the state Silver Bowl award recently. |
The United Way and Community Volunteer Center’s East Carbon MVP Team has won the coveted Silver Bowl Award for volunteer service.
The awards program was originally started in 1979 when volunteer centers coordinated a statewide volunteer recognition event. Prior to 1979 the four existing volunteer centers at the time each individually recognized outstanding volunteers in ceremonies held in their own communities.
From 1979 to the present, one statewide event has taken place. Originally known as the Carnation Volunteer Awards, winners were presented with engraved silver bowls. In 1991, it became the Governor’s Silver Bowl Awards and representatives from the state continued to recognize exemplary volunteers in partnership with the four volunteer centers in Utah.
In East Carbon the MVP team has racked up over 1,000 hours the past year. The group has nine members with Missy Yanez and Samantha Brinkley serving as team leaders. Both are currently sophomores.
They reorganized this past December and have already worked on the Angel Tree and Castle Valley Prom. For the prom the group made all the boutonnieres and corsages, in addition to baking over 10 dozen cookies.
The group will be helping the CEU museum this Saturday for the Family Fun Day. They also have plans to help with the newly remodeled Helper Mission thrift store. Once they raise enough money through the thrift store by increasing sales and merchandise they plan to remodel the children’s room at the mission.
Yanez, one of the team leaders says, “It is really fun to help other people out and it gives us something else to do out in East Carbon.” She added, “There always seems to be something to work on.”
Since 1997, the Silver Bowl Awards have been spearheaded directly by the Utah Volunteer Centers Association. The Utah Commission on Volunteers is a primary partner in coordinating the awards ceremony. Lt. Governor Olene S. Walker has most recently served as presenter of the Silver Bowl awards, which have been donated by O.C. Tanner Company.