Volunteers In Public Schools (VIPS) honored the top volunteers in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System on Tuesday, April 8, 2008.

   This year marked the 24th Annual Volunteer Picnic and Apple Awards, which celebrates the hard work of dedicated volunteers in elementary, middle and high schools. The event was held at University Baptist Church in Baton Rouge.
 
 Volunteers, members of school staff and community members gathered for the annual jambalaya dinner and recognition ceremony. EBR public schools have nominated their best volunteers for the Apple Award for more than two decades.

  This year was also the 10th anniversary of the Crystal Award, which recognizes volunteers who have served in EBR public schools for ten or more years.  Crystal Apple Award winners from previous years were also recognized.

 The 2008 Crystal Apple Award recipient is Carolyn Cavanaugh, a volunteer at Highland Elementary School.  She helped develop the Highland reading program which now has over 300 volunteers on a weekly basis. 

 Carolyn organizes and coordinates the volunteer activities with students each week.  She says her goal is to raise the awareness of her student’s potential to achieve excellence.

 The 2008 Golden Apple winners are as follows:
Tutor Category- Brandon Antwine, Bernard Terrace Elementary; Adult Volunteer Elementary Category- Shannon Eley, Brookstown Elementary; Adult Volunteer Middle School Category- Venita Kelly, Sherwood Middle Academic Magnet School; Adult Volunteer High School Category- Lieutenant Debra Roan, Capitol High Pre-College Academy for Girls;  Special Education Category- Linda Ardoin, Highland Elementary School; Volunteer Program Organizer Category- Jonathan Hill, Capitol Pre-College Academies; School Partnership Category-State Farm Insurance, LaSalle Elementary.

  During her remarks at the ceremony, East Baton Rouge Parish Schools Superintendent Charlotte D. Placide encouraged all the volunteers in attendance to share with others the rewarding experience of volunteering in EBR schools.

 “We need more like you,” she said.  East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden also participated in the recognition ceremony. 

 The Glen Oaks Park Elementary choir received a long applause after its performance of two moving musical selections and the McKinley High Jazz Band provided entertainment during the picnic.

 The VIPS Golden Apple Awards and Picnic is supported by several local organizations including: Booz, Allen, Hamilton; Chase, CSRS/The Facility Group, ExxonMobil, Regions, Tipton Associates, Cox, DEMCO, Kleinpeter, Louisiana Lottery, Taylor-Porter Attorneys, and United Way.