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The Washington County Community Foundation (WCCF) is pleased to announce that it has selected Kathleen L. Sabol to receive its annual Louis E. Waller Humanitarian Award.

Kathleen Sabol.

The award recognizes a local individual or organization devoted to the promotion of human welfare or the advancement of social reform as evidenced by humanitarian deeds in the community, whether local, national, or international. The inaugural award was presented to Louis E. Waller in 2008.

Her undergraduate time at the College of Wooster influenced her, especially the school’s emphasis on community service. She stayed after graduation to work for the college, overseeing student projects. But her most influential educational experience was her Masters from Harvard University in non-profit administration, where she studied social policy, funding and philanthropy.

For the past 21 years, she has been the executive director of the Washington County Bar Association and the Bar Foundation. She receives unconditional support from the lawyers to contribute time to the community.

She brightens when she talks about organizing the annual Sisterto Sister Summit, where 6th grade girls spend the night in Citizen’s Library being mentored by high school students and learning life coping skills. “This is very close to me personally, who I was at age 12.” she admits. “I want to help the girls learn to navigate, to stand up for themselves, learn some self-esteem. Helping one girl is worth it. I can stay up all night to help 30 girls.”

As a member of the Washington Rotary, she organizes the annual trivia contest, a huge effort involving as many as 450 participants and scores of volunteers. “It’s so powerful – getting so many people together playing for charities,” she said.

Her goal is to do one volunteer activity per month: February was Empty Bowl, March was Trivia, April was Sister-to-Sister, and then, she realized, “Hey, May is open!”
Sabol’s contributions to so many aspects of community life in Washington County made her a natural recipient of the WCCF Louis E. Waller Humanitarian Award. While she wouldn’t tell anyone to perform all the community service she does, she thinks people can give back in many ways. “See what interests you! If you like to read, join the Literacy Council. If you like to go to the movies, take some disadvantaged kids! Do something you love!”

The Louis E. Waller Humanitarian Award will be presented to Sabol at the WCCF’s annual Legacy Luncheon on Friday, May 11. In her honor, the Foundation will award a $1,000 unrestricted grant to the Sister-to-Sister Summit of Washington County, a project of the American Association of University Women.

For more information about the Community Foundation, please visit www.wccf.net.

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