Active Trans volunteers shine

Last week, Active Trans hosted our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party at Ancien Cycles in West Town. 

The event was an opportunity to celebrate the great work performed by our army of amazing volunteers (more than 2,000 in 2014!) who help move our mission forward.

As part of the event, we recognized five outstanding volunteers who have made tremendous contributions to our organization in 2014.

Here are the five award-winners:

Under the Radar Award — Andrew Nicolaou

This award recognizes the excellence and dedication of an unsung hero in bicycling advocacy. Andrew’s dedication to his work with the Crash Support Hotline and his presence in court hearings related to crash fatalities that occurred last year made him the clear choice for this award.  

Emerging Leader Award – Carmen Aiken

This honor is bestowed to aspiring leaders who don’t just ride the beaten path, but blaze a trail for others to follow. Carmen not only volunteers her time directly at our events serving as a Course Marshal Manager, she also helps to plan them as an active member of our Route Committee. Last year she helped test and mark more than 73 miles of routes to ensure our Four Star riders saw the city and enjoyed a safe ride.

2014 Event Volunteer Award – Darrel Wood

This award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of an individual volunteer to our fundraising events. For many years, Darrel has donated his time and know-how to Active Transportation Alliance as a Route Committee member and crucial supporter of our events. Darrel’s involvement with Active Transportation Alliance is a testament of dedication and passion for our mission goals.

Advocate of the Year Award – Barton Crouch

This award recognizes the volunteer who works to expand our reach, sharing our bicycling, pedestrian and transit commitment to a broader audience and thereby moving our mission forward. Barton has been one of our most enthusiastic volunteers while serving in a variety of roles with advocacy programs, including our Go Pilsen campaign, activities in the 25^th Ward and Ciclovamos.

Important Cog Award – Ruth Rosas

This award celebrates the volunteer who makes the most significant overall contribution to the success of our organization. Ruth (pictured top, left) is a longtime volunteer who has performed excellent work in a slew of different roles: assisting with packet pickup for our events, phone banking, volunteer nights in the office, and providing support at MB Financial Bank Bike the Drive.

We are proud of our award recipients and all of our volunteers who share their time and talents with Active Trans.

We thank our board members in celebrating our volunteers and we send a special shout out to Scott McIntosh at Ancien Cycles for hosting this year’s Volunteer Appreciation Party. It was a great party and we look forward to next year. 

If you are considering volunteering or would like to learn more about our volunteer opportunities, contact Ray Arroyo, Volunteer Coordinator at ray@activetrans.org or call 312-216-0487. MB Financial Bank Bike the Drive is just a few weeks away and we have many volunteer opportunities waiting to be filled.