Three area Jews are among six local residents to receive United Way
Community Services awards for their volunteer activities.
PHOTO BY DANIEL LIPPITT
Hearts Of Gold
Ron Elkus will receive the United Way
Community Services' Heart of Gold
award at a luncheon this week.
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER
T
hree area Jews are among
six people named to receive
the United Way Communi-
ty Services' Heart of Gold
award, the charity organization's
highest award for volunteerism.
Ron Elkus, Dr. Mark Diem and
Wally Klein will receive their
awards April 16 at the United
Way Community Services' Cele-
brate Volunteers luncheon at
Cobo Center in Detroit, an event
expected to draw 1,600 people.
Other winners include Donna Mc-
Cauley of Warren, Penny Ruth
Dennis of Highland Park and
Mary Scott Johnson of Detroit.
The award is given annually to
individuals who make a difference
for the entire community in the
volunteer work they do, said for-
mer Detroit Piston Dave Bing,
honorary chair of National Vol- it or deserve it," he said.
unteer Week and chairman and "I like to be behind the
CEO of Bing Steel in Detroit.
scenes. I like to be out
"Here in metropolitan Detroit, there and doing things."
we are fortunate that some 1.5
But his friends think
million people offer one of their otherwise.
most precious resources — time
Mr. Elkus was nomi-
— to help others every week," Mr. nated for the award by
Bing said. "By volunteering in Linda Lee, president of
many different capacities at the Michigan Jewish
schools, places of worship, civic AIDS Coalition (MJAC)
and fraternal organizations, hu- and a former recipient of
man-services agencies and grass- the award.
roots and community based
Ms. Lee, who wrote an
groups, these men, women and effusive four-page letter
youth improve the quality of life of nomination on behalf
in metropolitan Detroit."
of Mr. Elkus, said she knew Mr.
Mr. Elkus, a Huntington Elkus would not seek an award
Woods resident, said he was sur- for his work.
prised when told he won the
"I knew he would be uncom-
award.
fortable when he heard about this,
"I really don't think I looked for but those are the people who de-
serve the award," she said. "He
was embarrassed about the let-
ter, but I said, Ron, there is noth-
ing that is in there that is not
true."
Mr. Elkus, who works with
MJAC, Yad Ezra and JARC as
well as secular organizations, said
he enjoys performing volunteer
work in the Jewish community.
"For one, there is a comfort zone
in the Jewish community," he
said. "But it also gives me a
chance to reconnect, to come back
into the community."
Mr. Elkus said he was inspired
by his parents' volunteer work.
"They were really good role
models," he said.
. Dr. Mark Diem, a resident of
Bloomfield Hills, was nominat-
ed by people who were familiar
with his work for the past five
years in feeding thousands of in-
dividuals on Christmas Day
through the Salvation Army and
Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
Hundreds of the congregation's
families now set aside the day as
a way to bring meals to the less
fortunate. Dr. Diem said he is
happy to see parents teaching
their children valuable Jewish
HEARTS OF GOLD page 20
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