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Janet Duca Norton: Avenidas presents Lifetimes of Achievement awards

Palo Alto's Avenidas presented its 22nd annual Lifetimes of Achievement Awards to six outstanding Mid-Peninsula residents on May 15. More than 300 friends, family members and former honorees attended the afternoon garden party at the home of Jonathan MacQuitty and Laurie Hunter in Old Palo Alto.

The honorees, who were all over 70 years of age, were recognized for their community leadership and significant achievements.

Chairwoman Mary Hughes said she was pleased that the weather cooperated -- it hailed in the morning, but stopped in time for the festivities. In case the weather gods didn't cooperate, Hughes and the homeowners installed a pair of tents.

"It was a tribute to the honorees that, despite the weather, the turnout was the second highest in the history of the event. We had an eclectic group of honorees and a wide variety of organizations," Hughes said.

Before Avenidas Executive Director and CEO Lisa Hendrickson introduced the honorees, she gave an overview of the center's varied programs. "Avenidas provides a means for each person to live life to full achievement," she said. Avenidas provides this opportunity for 6,000 seniors on the mid-Peninsula.

About the honorees:

• Former Mayor of Palo Alto Jim Burch said that it was a serendipitous turn when he started to volunteer with Boy Scouts more than 50 years ago. He volunteered with United Way and NAACP, co-founded San Francisco's Urban Coalition, served as president of Palo Alto's Creative Initiative Foundation and has volunteered for 36 years with the Foundation for Global Community.

• Betsy Collard of Mountain View, well-known as the program director of the nonprofit Career Action Center for 21 years, wrote "The High-Tech Career Book" and served on boards of the Palo Alto chapter of the American Red Cross, Mountain View's Day Worker Center and the Human Relations Commission.

• For 25 years, Los Altos Hills resident Jan Fenwick has hosted events and raised funds for environmental and educational organizations, including Environmental Volunteers, Community School of Music and Arts, and Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. She serves on their boards, as well as on the boards of Foothill Commission, Morning Forum of Los Altos, Peninsula Conservation Center's Trust Board Fund and the Foothill De-Anza Colleges Foundation Board.

• Dick Henning of Los Altos is known for founding and directing the Foothill College Celebrity Forum Speakers Series. The early success of the series is an example of thinking outside the box. To encourage students to buy student body cards in 1968, he gave a free Forum ticket along with each student-card purchase. In addition to his busy speaker schedule, he has served on many community boards.

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