Congratulations to Centrum’s ACCESS Services team! Led by Lois Frisch and Trudy Rosenberg, this dedicated group of volunteers can be seen working tirelessly at Centrum’s public events, smoothing the way for anyone needing some assistance. They’re on hand with assistive listening devices, special seating, handicap parking, wheelchair access, and whatever else is needed to assure the safety and comfort of our guests with special needs. The award is presented each year to a volunteer group for their efforts in:
Outstanding continued dedication of time and effort * Enhancement of special services at State Parks * Demonstration of spirit and caring to State Parks and the public * Development of a unique and or innovative program at the park or program level
Here’s an excerpt from the nomination…
Centrum welcomes this opportunity to recognize the work of a committed and specialized group of volunteers, our ACCESS Specialists. The Centrum ACCESS Team has become a hallmark of Centrum’s year-round season of festival concerts, dances, readings, and workshops. Their services are so important and well appreciated that these volunteers have often been asked to provide the same services for other users of Ft Worden State Park venues.
Centrum’s ACCESS Volunteers are dedicated to creating an inclusive and accessible environment for all patrons and participants with disabilities. These volunteers are guided by a deep conviction that every individual is entitled to the opportunity to lead a rich, fulfilling life. People with mobility, hearing, vision, or other issues, along with their families and friends, know they can rely without fail on Centrum’s ACCESS Team.
Many hours of preparation go into seamlessly providing these services. From allocation of discretionary seating to the monitoring of fire lanes and parking areas, the ACCESS team is at work before and after the rest of the volunteer team. By attending training sessions and studying current informational materials these specialized volunteers have made Centrum at Fort Worden State Park a leader in ACCESS services. Every year our office receives compliments on their behalf, and each season we see that these services are becoming more and more an expected part of the Fort Worden summer experience. Our team is working toward the day when ACCESS services are no longer considered a specialty, but a standard part of public events throughout Washington State and beyond.
While this award was presented to the ACCESS team of 2010 and their Centrum Staff Coordinator Karen Anderson, this project is a culmination of efforts over many seasons by many volunteers.
Here’s a list of ACCESS Services volunteers over the past few seasons:
Betty Abersold-Wright 
Cheryl Bentley
Larry Berger
Ann Bishop
Linda Brewster
Cass Brotherton
Nelson Cone
Sharon Cone
Diane Forsmark
Kathleen Francis
Robert Francis
Lois Frisch
Kay Harper
JoAnne Heron
Fayette Krause
Monica Le Roux
Paula Lewis
Emily Mandelbaum
Joanie McCarthy
Jacque McInvale
Skip McInvale
Jamie Parker
Maria Porter
Donna Regester
Glen Richardson
Sharman Richardson
Mary Rizzardi
Trudy Rosenberg
Ray Schroff
Nancesca Schroff
Joseph Schum
Nancy Schum
William Smothers
Virginia Thompson
Evelyn Vetere
Martin Vetere
Bonnie Whyte
Don Wright
We salute you all!