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WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A community advocate/journalist and an elementary school teacher have been chosen as the 2019 recipients of the United Way of Wyoming Valley&#8217;s two community service awards.Bill O&#8217;Boyle, a reporter/columnist for the Times Leader and long-time advocate for a number of organizations which support children and adults who face intellectual and physical challenges &#8212; most notably through the Challenger Baseball League and Victory Sports &#8212; will receive United Way&#8217;s Rose Brader Community Service Award.Amy Bluhm, an elementary school teacher in the Crestwood School District, as well as a volunteer for a host of school and community activities and events, will receive the Sarah and Anthony Kane, Jr. Achievement Award.United Way of Wyoming Valley will present both awards during its Day of Caring Breakfast at Genetti&#8217;s in Wilkes-Barre on May 15.&#8220;The Brader and Kane Awards are United Way of Wyoming Valley&#8217;s most significant community recognition opportunities that we have every year,&#8221; said Bill Jones, President/CEO of United Way of Wyoming Valley. &#8220;They are our way of saying &#8216;thank you&#8217; to those who have gone above and beyond to help others in their immediate communities and across the Wyoming Valley, and this year&#8217;s recipients are most deserving.&#8221;Nominees for the Brader Award are submitted by members of the community at large, and the recipient is selected by a volunteer committee.Nominees for the Kane Award are submitted by members of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, and the recipient must be a PSEA member whose efforts have not only supported students, but also enriched their community.O&#8217;Boyle bioAlong with his work on behalf of children and adults with physical or intellectual challenges through the Challenger and Victory organizations, O&#8217;Boyle was nominated for being instrumental in the success of a number of programs, including the regional Make-A-Wish Foundation, raising funds for a children&#8217;s hospital in Warsaw, Poland, and funding a playground for patients at the John Heinz Institute for Pediatric Patients. He served for more than 30 years with Teeners&#8217; League Baseball and Wyoming Valley American Legion Baseball.O&#8217;Boyle also served on the Leadership Wilkes-Barre committee that began Junior Leadership Wilkes-Barre and he is a graduate of Leadership USA. He also is a past member and president of the Ethics Institute of Northeastern Pennsylvania; helped organize the Book Kids Program at Wyoming Valley West School District; co-chaired the annual Riverside Rumble wheelchair-only race that was a 10K national and international championship; chaired the annual Bowl for Kids Sake for Big Brothers/Big Sisters; and served on the Wyoming Valley West Community Advisory Group.&#8220;I am extremely honored to receive this award,&#8221; O&#8217;Boyle said. &#8220;I knew Rose Brader well and worked with her on several projects. My parents instilled in me a sense of community and I have tried to help where I could over the years. It&#8217;s humbling to know that these efforts have been recognized.&#8221;Bluhm bioBluhm, who is a member of the Crestwood Education Association, was nominated for the extra care she gives to her students, especially those who live in poverty. She also coordinates the district holiday toy drive and a winter clothing drive for students living in poverty, donates to and coordinates the annual Backpack Program, facilitates the Robo&#8217;s Readers program at Fairview Elementary, volunteers for the monthly Commission on Economic Opportunity Food Distribution and volunteers with the NEPA Pet Rescue Fund.The Rose Brader Community Service Award is named in honor of the late Rosalie Brader, a 31-year employee of the United Way of Wyoming Valley, who devoted extensive volunteer time and talent towards numerous local health and human service organizations.The Kane Award is named for the late Anthony Kane as well as his late wife, Sarah. Anthony Kane was a teacher and PSEA leader in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It recognizes PSEA members who are leaders among their peers by supporting United Way programs and contributing outstanding volunteer service in both their school and community.Past Rose Brader Recipients1980 &#8212; Gary Van Scoy1981 &#8212; Harry Hickman1982 &#8212; Anthony D&#8217;Elia1983 &#8212; CeCe McCarthy1984 &#8212; Barbara Chippel1985 &#8212; Ruth O&#8217;Dell1986 &#8212; Fannie Rokus1987 &#8212; Sophie Cohen1988 &#8212; Joseph DeVizia1989 &#8212; Hanna Janjigian .1990 &#8212; Ruth &amp; Kim Borland1991 &#8212; Sandy Rifkin1992 &#8212; Ann Yedlock1993 &#8212; Sally Teller Lottick1994 &#8212; Leroy Martin1995 &#8212; Charles H. Miner, Jr.1996 &#8212; Rose Marie Panzitta1997 &#8212; William V. Lewis, Jr.1998 &#8212; Rose Tucker1999 &#8212; Myrle Coolbaugh2000 &#8212; Joseph Pringle2001 &#8212; John Maday2002 &#8212; Jean Pierkowski2003 &#8212; William Jones2004 &#8212; Mary Law2005 &#8212; Virginia Denn2006 &#8212; Irene Transue2007 &#8212; Mary Kay Pettinger2008 &#8212; Anna Mary McHugh2009 &#8212; Betty Griesmer2010 &#8212; Lois Myers2011 &#8212; Alice Baran2012 &#8212; Kate Button2013 &#8212; Gary Williams2014 &#8212; Terri Novak2015 &#8212; Joanne Namey2016 &#8212; Christopher Concert2017 &#8212; Mary Anne Fedrick2018 &#8212; Rabbi Larry Kaplan<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bill O&#8217;Boyle </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Column-head-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bill O&#8217;Boyle </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>TL&#8217;s O&#8217;Boyle, Crestwood&#8217;s Bluhm honored</subheadMeta></div>

United Way announces 2019 Brader, Kane awards