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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2008)
vernonia’s voice volunteerism september 2008 17 Vernonia Bear Creek Run/Walk a Great Success! By Maria Lemay The Sixth Annual Bear Creek Run/Walk, a fundraiser for Vernonia Cares Food Bank, was held on August 16th which turned out to be one of the hottest days we have had in 2008. Early on, the pavilion at Anderson Park was a hive of activity with runners and walkers signing up for the 5K and 10K events. The 105 registered participants came from Vernonia (20), Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Camas, War- renton, Portland, and West Linn areas with some folks from Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Colorado and California. The turnout was double the number of partici- pants from 2007 (which in turn was twice the number from the year before.) The 10K started promptly at 8:15AM, sending fifty- two eager people west along the Linear Trail. Twelve minutes later fifty-three 5K partici- pants were on their way east toward Vernonia Lake. By 10:00AM all runners and walkers were safely returned to the Pavilion to enjoy rest and refreshments. A total of $2,700 was raised by this event through event sponsorship and run registrations. 1st place medals for Male/Female 5K and 10K and 1st/2nd place medals for the 5K walk- ers were then awarded. A raffle followed and folks seemed to go home happy…and ready to return for the Aug 15th, 2009 event! Register on line: http://www.signmeup.com/61797 Results Men’s 10K 1st Place: Chris Rifer, Portland, OR; 35:18 2nd Place: Kevin Filkowski, Longview, WA; 39:18 3rd Place: Joseph Moullet, Wood Village, OR; 44:28 Women’s 10K 1st Place: Kara Lorion, Hillsboro, OR; 52:00 2nd Place: Leah Henriksen, Forest Grove, OR; 52:18 (tied) 2nd Place: Bridget Cooke, Forest Grove, OR; 52:18 (tied) Men’s 5K 1st Place: Sean Thoensen, Aurora, CO; 30:24 2nd Place: Adrian Taylor, Portland, OR; 30:25 3rd Place: Alex Grant, McMinnville, OR; 31:34 Women’s 5K 1st Place: Madeleine Zolfo, Fuquay Varina, NC; 31:41 2nd Place: Alisa Wise,Camas, WA; 35:21 (took 1st place in 2007) 3rd Place: Maureen Zolfo, Portland, OR; 37:00 5K walk – 1st and 2nd place went to a mother and daughter team again this year – Nancy Johnson and Brandi Fennell from Vernonia with a time of 56:20. A huge thanks to our volunteers who made the event day a success: Barb Ervin, Terry Grosnick, Tobie Finzel, Sandy Welch, Shannon Aronhalt, Jeana Gump, Jesse Jones, Deb Bergerson, Brett Costley, six local cheerleaders, Jim Aronhalt and daughter, and Vernonia Voice’s Scott Laird. Sponsorship for the event came from local community businesses in cash donations for the event and on the day cof- fee and prizes (Black Bear Coffee Co., Wal-Mart and Jazzercise). Come and sign up for 2009 as a participant, vol- unteer to help with planning and preparation or be a vol- unteer for the event day. Teresa Bernardi, Volunteer EMS By Scott Laird Firefighter, Emergency Medical Service and Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers fill a crucial role in small rural communities. They spend many hours of their time receiving their initial training and certification and then many more hours on re- quired continuing training and education. They respond to our emergencies at all hours of the day and night. Because we all have such busy schedules, and many local residents commute out of town for work, our local departments sometimes have trouble filling vol- unteer positions. In this series of articles, Vernonia’s Voice will profile some of our local volunteers who sacrifice week in and week out to help keep our community safe. Being a volunteer is often about helping and mak- ing a difference. It’s about service to community and about making the world a better place. But it’s also important that the volunteer gets some reward for his or her efforts and some kind of personal satisfaction which may be different for each individual. For Teresa Bernardi, her reward is knowing that she has made a personal differ- ence - a difference that might have meant life or death for one of her neighbors. Teresa Bernardi has been a volunteer with the Vernonia Ambulance Association since 1999, first as a driver, than as an EMT Basic and finally as one of only a few EMT Intermedi- ates (who have important additional medical training) in the Vernonia Community. “It’s a great feeling, knowing you just saved somebody or made someone more comfortable,” says Bernardi. September Sale! Featured Sale Items Include... - - - - - - - Fly Masks 10% Off Summer Sheet Sale! 15% Off Clearance Tank Tops $10 Continuex Daily De-Wormer $55.95 Quest Gel Wormer $13.95 Trace Mineral 4lb. Salt Brick $2.95 50lb. Salt Blocks $11.95 NOW CARRYING HILLSBORO FEED - GET IT LOCALLY! - Senior Horse Feed - Wet or Dry, 50lb. $11.95 - Chicken Scratch 50lb. $12.95 - Arena Blend 50lb. $9.95 - Beet Pulp 50lb. $10.95 NOW CARRYING TEX TAN LEATHER Bridles (variety of colors) $33.95-$35.95 Open Mon-Sat 10-6 Available Sunday for Emergencies... Call cell (503) 702-0081 503-429-TACK (8225) Located Inside Creatures 736 Bridge Street, Vernonia OR 97064 Ten years ago, Bernardi was looking for something to do in the community. Her chil- dren were grown, and she wanted to be involved in something. Then she saw the sign that said “Volunteers Wanted” for EMS and thought it might be a rewarding way to get involved. She already had First Aid and CPR training, so it was a natural progression to join the local ambulance crew. “There is definitely a need,” said Bernardi about her decision to join. “I would feel ter- rible if my grandmother was sick and there wasn’t anyone there to take care of her. So I’m going to be there to help take care of someone else’s grandma.” EMS volunteers in Vernonia assist a paid paramedic who is on duty twenty-four hours a day. But during a multiple patient call or when two incidents occur at the same time, the volunteers may be the highest trained medical personnel available. Local fire volunteers usually assist at the scene of the emergency, and then the EMS crew is responsible for transporting the patient to the hospital which can be almost an hour away. “This is very rewarding, but it’s also not for everyone,” said Bernardi. Being an EMT in a small community has unique challenges. “It can be a good thing and a bad thing working in a small community because you know everyone,” she says. “Going on a call when you know the person involved is really hard. I have also had the experience of being able to talk with a patient I knew who knew me, and I was able to get her to cooperate with us more. It can be very calming to have someone show up that they know. ” Bernardi suggests getting first aid and CPR training if a person is interested in getting involved. “It can be a matter of life and death for someone. You never know when you are going to need it.” They can also get certified as a first responder or consider joining CERT which assists in major emergencies. “CERT is a great! They really fill a need, and it’s another opportunity to serve. If nothing else, I just encourage people to watch out for their neighbors.”