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Honored
NOW honored Eric and Julie Quinn. NOW founder Alan Rawson is at right. Courtesy photo.
NOW honors
volunteers
DAYVILLE — Local non-profit Northeast Opportunities for Wellness, Inc. (NOW) recently honored two volunteer Board members for their years of service to the youth wellness organization. Husband and wife Eric and Julie Quinn of Putnam, each received plaques in honor of their long dedication and various contributions to NOW. As of January 2019, NOW has entered its ninth year serving the 10-town area of northeastern Connecticut.
Presented by NOW founder and Immediate Past-President Allan Rawson, the awards marked milestones for each recipient. Eric Quinn, a long-time member of the NOW Board of Directors, transitioned to an Emeritus member of the Board in 2018. Joining the organization only a few years after its inception, Eric’s involvement in NOW evolved from his interest in promoting youth football in the region, with the creation of Quiet Corner Football. Eric’s involvement in NOW resulted in a very successful annual Football and Cheerleading clinic, which attracts between 100 – 150 children each year and includes coaches and players from local high schools working with local youth to introduce the sport. The clinic also includes a highly popular cheerleading component, led by New England Patriots Cheerleading Coach Tracy Sormanti. Eric has also been a leading voice on NOW’s Programming Committee, helping to shape the organization’s youth sports scholarship program, and fitness and nutrition outreach. Since 2018, Eric has also served on the NOW Building Committee, a group which has been exploring the potential for a multi-sport complex building project in the area. Eric was recognized with a plaque honoring his service and his status as a Board Emeritus member.
Soon after Eric joined the NOW board, Eric’s wife Julie was asked to join the organization to serve as treasurer.
As an all-volunteer organization at the time, Julie’s skills were crucial to NOW’s growth and quickly she became one of NOW’s most valued volunteers.
Specifically, Julie was instrumental in the development of NOW’s scholarship program, ensuring clear guidelines and a structured paperwork process.
For more than five years, Julie has overseen all NOW scholarships, with over 1,000 children receiving financial assistance from NOW since 2015, covering upwards of $75,000 in registration fees. As treasurer, Julie donated countless hours of her time to NOW, with detailed reports and the responsibility of handling all financial matters, including deposits, bills, and taxes. In addition to her duties as treasurer, Julie lead NOW’s Finance, Scholarship, and Legal Committee, was an active member of the Programming Committee, and volunteered at many of NOW’s annual fund-raising events and clinics.
Julie made the decision to step down as treasurer in December of 2018 but remains on the Board of Directors for 2019. To honor her dedication and many contributions, Julie was presented with a Special Appreciation plaque for her time as treasurer.
Allan Rawson said: “I have learned that one of the big benefits of becoming involved with a non-profit such as NOW, is the people you meet and the friends you make. Eric and Julie Quinn are the perfect examples of this and on behalf of NOW, I would like to thank them both for their years of service to the children of NOW.”
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