Linda Sherlund Earns Citizen of Year Award
By Amy Polk

Les Cheneaux Chamber of Commerce named Linda Sherlund (center) its 2007 Citizen of the Year. One of her three children, Casey (left), and her husband, Tom, were at the Chamber's annual banquet Wednesday, October 3, to see her receive the award.

"Friends," Linda Sherlund said simply, are the greatest rewards she has reaped in her many years of volunteer service.

"You meet so many friends through volunteering," she added. "You get back what you give."

Mrs. Sherlund said she feels honored by receiving the 2007 Citizen of the Year award, and that the Les Cheneaux Islands community values what she does as a volunteer.

She first got involved in volunteer service about 20 years ago as a member of the Trojans Booster Club, which supports Les Cheneaux Community Schools' athletic program. The organization raises money in addition to the athletic program's regular revenues, and helps pay for uniforms, conference fees, transportation, and scholarships. This year the Booster Club took on perhaps its biggest challenge to raise $19,000 to replace transportation, staff salaries, and athletic fund expenses cut from the district's budget. The Booster Club this month presented the district with $14,000 of that, Mrs. Sherlund said, and has committed to raise the additional $5,000. As the Booster Club treasurer for the past seven years, she played a key role in the success of the club's fundraisers this year. She complimented the work of the other volunteers, parents, and students who are working to raise money for the athletic program.

"We couldn't have asked for better volunteers, and it was great to see the kids and the adults working together," Mrs. Sherlund said.

She brings the same energy to other projects, Les Cheneaux Chamber of Commerce President Tom Haske said. He cited Mrs. Sherlund's work on the Clark Township Recreation Park Project, for which she has tirelessly raised money. She has been a member of the Recreation Committee for more than a decade, and is now on the sub-committee to update Clark Township's Recreation Plan.

"She is one of our community's sparkplugs," said Clark Township Supervisor Linda Hudson, who also worked with her on the former Les Cheneaux Economic Forum.

Before taking an office administration position at Dr. Blake Slater's office in Cedarville, she worked as the Chamber of Commerce and Les Cheneaux Tourist Association coordinator, and helped with several Chamber of Commerce activities. Mrs. Sherlund continued to assist and advise volunteers long after she left the position.

She has been a Snowsfest volunteer for about 12 years, she estimates, and a five-year Les Cheneaux Boat Show Committee member. She helps with the Les Cheneaux Chamber's Independence Day festivities. A former Girl Scout leader, she was also involved with the former Les Cheneaux Economic Forum.

She finds inspiration in longtime volunteers like Dana Torsky, she said.

"She is an example of someone who has been doing it forever," Mrs. Sherlund said of Mrs. Torsky's service. "There are always volunteers who stand beside you. It's not a oneman show. I hope to pass that down to my kids."

Mrs. Sherlund is motivated to help by the needs of her community, and maintains that community service is "part of being in the community."

"I live here, and I want our community to have these events and programs," she added.

She and her husband, Tom, have two grown sons, Tommy and Michael, and a daughter, Casey.