League of Women Voters Recognizes Unsung Heroes, Awards Scholarship

The Brookfield League of Women Voters (LWV) held their annual awards dinner on Monday, June 13, at the home of Roberta and Irwin Berger. The event is held each year to celebrate the contributions of Brookfield residents who make our town a better place to live and to recognize the winner of the annual LWV essay competition.

This year, the LWV awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Brookfield High School (BHS) senior Matthew Goodrich for his essay discussing the impact of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United vs. FEC decision on the election process. Matthew is graduating as valedictorian of his class and will be attending Bowdoin College in the fall. He is a regular contributor to Brookfield Patch and recently became an Eagle Scout.

In addition to his many accomplishments as an outdoorsman and activist, he has traveled to the Dominican Republic with Habitat for Humanity and has completed more than 200 hours of community service in the past year.

The League also chose five Brookfield residents to receive Unsung Hero awards, which recognize the efforts of people in the community whose hard work behind the scenes makes a big difference to the community. This year, the LWV honored Cindy Carroll, Cassandra Dunn, Lori Peck, Laura Luizzi and Sherri Keefe.

Cindy Carroll has run the Odyssey of the Mind program since she first came to Brookfield in 2005. Each year, she single-handedly recruits both participants and coaches, arranges training, provides supplies and supervision, and raises funds for an annually increasing number of teams from BHS, Huckleberry Hill Elementary School (HHES) and Whisconier Middle School (WMS). Thanks to her efforts, Brookfield has been represented by at least one team at the Worlds Competition in each of the last six years. The program continues to increase in popularity with both children and adults and has become a highly respected option for students looking to enhance their education experience. This year, Brookfield sent seven teams to the annual competition in Bristol, with all of the teams finishing within the top 10 for their respective categories and divisions.

Cassandra Dunn is responsible for the reconstruction and upgrade of the BHS track. An enthusiastic runner, Cassie was dismayed at the dilapidated condition of the high school track and undertook fundraising efforts to renovate the field. For the past 17 years, she has arranged an annual Mother’s Day Run as a fundraiser to maintain and enhance the track. This event has become a tradition in Brookfield, which now attracts many residents each year. Through her efforts, the BHS track has become a popular place for residents who enjoy a place to run, walk and socialize. It was most recently the site for the annual Relay For Life.

Lori Peck, Laura Luizzi and Sherri Keefe were honored for their work on the , which has been held in conjunction with the budget referendum for the past 4 years. Lori, Laura and Sherri organize and operate this program, which mirrors the adult voting experience for students at all four Brookfield public schools. Children have their names crossed off a master list, are able to cast a vote on an actual ballot, and receive an “I voted” sticker just like their parents. In addition to providing a great civics lesson about the importance and mechanics of voting, the program has become wildly popular among students, who look forward to actively participating in making a decision for their school for the upcoming year.

The LWV extends their congratulations to each of this year’s honorees. To learn more about the League or any of the programs mentioned, please contact Kathie Schilling at 203-740-0812.