Springfield, Vt.
It was Gray’s participation in these events, in addition to his involvement directing plays and all-around helpful actions, that led to him being voted the 46th annual Senior Citizen of the Year by his peers.
“It means a lot,” Gray, 68, of Springfield, Vt., said of the honor.
He attributed his desire to help, in part, to lessons he learned from his pastor at Springfield United Methodist Church. “If you see something that needs doing, do it,” he said.
Gray started attending programs at the senior center when he retired at age 64 after working for various Vermont state departments.
Gray was given the award last Wednesday at the senior center during a ceremony presided over by Director Heather Hall, who stood at a lectern; previous winners of the award sat in a semicircle behind her. He was crowned by 2016’s winner, Linda Roy, and escorted to a chair that had a “congratulations” balloon attached to it. Gray sat beside runner-up Michael Wooton and honor roll honorees Elizabeth Moulton, Denis Menard and Mimi Amsden.
Winners are not notified in advance, Hall said, so the honor is always a surprise.
“They look forward to this every year,” Hall said. “It’s just such a great tradition.”
Hall gave a brief speech about each senior who was honored.
“He is always willing to help with setting up or cleaning up for senior center programs or to help complete tasks that no one else would like to do,” Hall said in her speech about Gray. “Last summer, Don climbed up a very tall ladder to dust and clean the top of the lights throughout the senior center.”
After every name was announced, the audience responded with applause and shouts of joy, indicative of the strong community the senior center provides, Hall said.
“It’s really a family here,” she said.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
