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Bruce Hay, second from left, with Pam Brown, left, and his family. Linda Lemmon photo.
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — A heavy inhale. A heavy exhale.
Then, Feb. 27, the winner of the George Brown Community Champion Award, veteran Bruce Hay, told a standing-room-only audience where his drive for community service came from.
“I lost a classmate in Vietnam. Ever since I’ve wanted to help others.”
Hay’s community service is wide ranging and long standing. He is vice president of the Danielson Veterans Coffeehouse, chief organizer of the Food Share from the beginning, active in his church and the Scouts (especially with the Pinewood Derby program). He’s also serves his local fire department and more.
Fred Ruhlemann, president of the coffeehouse, was one of many who said “Bruce never says ‘no’”. Just like the award’s namesake, George Brown. Ruhlemann said Brown was one of the early veterans in the coffeehouse. He was there every event, helping and was heavily involved serving his community, too. “George was a great community champion,” Ruhlemann said and that’s how the award got its name.
He added that when Hay found out he was to receive the award (which was voted on by coffeehouse members) he said he “didn’t want it, didn’t deserve it.” Yes, you do.
Pam Brown recalled her husband George always said the same. Turning to Hay, she said, “Just like you say you don’t deserve this award. Yes you do.”
Jim Eccleston from the Putnam Elks, which hosted the award, serving a steak breakfast to thhe 100-plus attending veterans and families, is also the coffeehouse secretary. He recounted some numbers to back up the “yes you do deserve this.” Hay, “the man in the red hat,” spends an average of 60 hours a month just on the Food Share program. He’s commanded 800 volunteers and with those volunteers, collected 950 tons of food were distributed. Eccleston estimated between all the food programs Hay and his volunteers provide food for, some 18,000 people have been helped.
Eccleston told a story that shows the core of Hay. They’d gone to pick up food for distribution and the truck wasn’t balanced because extra food was loaded on — because Hay couldn’t resist the deal the food bank had on hams. As the truck went down the highway it started to sway. They ended up blowing a tire. They “limped into” a place and got the tire fixed. They realized if there had been an accident that all the food would have been condemned “and then,” Hay said aloud, “what would the people in need of that food do?”.
Yes, you do deserve this award.
.