PRESS RELEASE
1/19/15 Contact: Janet Borgens, (650) 207-8133
2015 Sequoia Awards Honor Volunteers, Grant Scholarships
The Sequoia Awards is giving $160,000 in college aid to 23 high school students to recognize their volunteering with local community causes. The Awards also honor a leading citizen volunteer, and a business whose employees have an outstanding record of volunteerism.
Top Student Volunteer: Cara Green
This year's top student volunteer is Cara Green, a senior at Sequoia High School. She will receive a $20,000 scholarship. Cara has volunteered as a tutor at the local Catholic Worker House, has helped build homes in Tijuana, worked at an AIDS clinic in Tanzania, and volunteered with Girl Scouts service projects. In addition to Cara, the Sequoia Awards will honor 22 other seniors for their exemplary volunteer work with the less fortunate of our neighbors, by giving these students more than $160,000 in scholarships toward college costs.
Volunteer Citizens of the Year:Paula and Karl Dresden
Paula and Karl Dresden for over 20 years have been the producers of "Bethlehem AD", the largest interactive, live Christmas Nativity scene in California They spend half of every year organizing the details, the hundreds of volunteers, and the donations to make Bethlehem AD the cherished tradition in the Bay Area which it has become.
The Dresdens work with local churches, community groups and city leaders to put it together. Tens of thousands of people walk through this pop-up village every Christmas. Both Paula and Karl feel blessed by their volunteer activity with Bethlehem AD. Paula is a minister's daughter with an artist's touch, and Karl is a realtor who volunteers as a way of giving back to the community where he lives and works.
Business of the Year: Provident Credit Union
Provident Credit Union is being recognized as a good corporate citizen because of their focus on community education and financial literacy, on personal health and safety, affordable housing, and support for their local business community. They are committed to bringing value to the financial lives of their members, their families and their communities, and they encourage volunteerism as part of their company culture of
"People Helping People".
Provident Credit Union directs their employee volunteerism and donations mainly in the area of education. Examples include the Redwood City Education Foundation, Redwood City Library Foundation, Skyline College, the San Francisco Deputy Sheriff's Foundation, the Cal-CPA Scholarship Fund, School Force, Serra High School, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Notre Dame High School, and Notre Dame de Namur University.
The Sequoia Awards banquet will be held March 5th, 2015 at the Hotel Sofitel. If anyone is interested in attending or donating to these inspiring students, call Deanna Dooley at Dooley Insurance, (650) 369-7217, or visit the Sequoia Awards website -