On Wednesday, February 21, 2024, Dublin welcomed honorable volunteers to the Shannon Community Center to receive awards for their service. The event has three awards: Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, and Organization of the Year. Additionally, there are special awards like the Mayor’s Award where our mayor, Melissa Hernandez, presents to someone she believes works tirelessly to support the residents of Dublin. There is also the Mayor’s Legacy Award, a dedication to someone’s long-term efforts for Dublin. These awards are given to those whose actions are recognized for going above and beyond. In total, twenty-five volunteer nominations were made.
The 2023 Citizen of the Year award went to Michael and Tammy Goldstein, members of the Dublin Lions Club, for their efforts and unwavering passion for supporting our city. According to Sherry Perry, the couple’s nominator for the award, “Michael and Tammy are an integral part of our community and can always be found barbecuing during the City of Dublin’s three Family Campouts every summer, generously catering to over 700 individuals.”
The Organization of the Year award went to Dublin Partners in Education (DPIE), which supports Dublin students by offering enriching school activities and extracurriculars for students. This organization is necessary for Dublin schools to have these programs that students love and enjoy.
Lastly, the Young Citizen of the Year award went to Troy Matheny, a Dublin High senior who made significant efforts in the Best Buddies Club, Special Olympics, and DubLead (DHS Leadership) while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and being Co-Captain of the Dublin Football team. Troy’s academic, physical, and community achievements truly show his motivation for supporting the community and caring for himself as well.
The Mayor’s Award acknowledged the Dublin Police Services Investigative Services Unit. The unit’s keen investigative skills led to the “Gone Girl” case being solved in Vallejo. In 2015, Vallejo resident Denise Huskins was kidnapped by Mathew Muller. Vallejo police thought her boyfriend’s report of her disappearance was a hoax, and they failed to take the report seriously. The Dublin Investigations Unit was able to link the Huskins case to several other cases related to Muller and prove that the Huskins case was real.
The Mayor’s Legacy Award was presented to Margaret Liang. She is a board member of the Three Valleys Community Foundation and the chair of the board of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APIAPA) Tri-Valley branch. In these positions, she assists in planning several community events that frequently showcase the local Asian American common areas.
This event was a wonderful experience for people of all ages. It was an inspiring reminder that volunteering in Dublin is a worthy and rewarding endeavor, not just by getting awarded a medal but by seeing a smile on someone’s face when you give back to your community. “Even though only three groups were picked, it’s not about the award but about the thought and effort the people of Dublin put into this community,” says Nikita Prabhu, a Fallon 8th grader, and a member of 4-H, a nominee for the Organization Award. Everyone who got nominated or selected did an excellent job helping out in our community and showed the true meaning of volunteerism. Great job to all volunteers!
