Dorothy A. Jones award finalists announced

United Way of Mat-Su is honoring four local volunteers and one local volunteer organization as finalists for the annual Dorothy A. Jones Volunteer of the Year award.

The award will be presented on April 28 during a luncheon at the Palmer Moose Lodge, hosted by the Palmer Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Mat-Su. The program includes a keynote address by First Lady Nancy Murkowski.

This year's finalists include a variety of volunteers, from organizations ranging from the Boy Scouts to a diagnostic team.

This year's list of finalists include:

Lois Feaster. Feaster has volunteered for more than 35 years. She founded the annual Bear Paw District Scout-o-Rama, and has also volunteered throughout the years at Mat-Su organizations such as Valley Performing Arts, the Salvation Army, the Mat-Su Borough School District and United Way.

Dr. Milton Lum. Lum is a pediatrician who has served as a medical advisor for both the Mat-Su Borough School District and the Mat-Su Fetal Alcohol Diagnostic Team. He has also served as a camp physician for the American Lung Association, the Diabetes Camp and Victory Bible Camp. He has been a volunteer physician for the Special Olympics and is has been on the board of directors of the Mat-Su Services for Children and Adults and Habitat for Humanity organizations.

The Mat-Su Fetal Alcohol Diagnostic Team. The team includes Roxana Sawyer, Sandy Lane, Kim Bergey, Milt Lum, Beth Shales, Mary Thompson and Dorothy Erickson. It is a group of professionals who have volunteered more than 3,000 hours in the last two years to help families who have children with fetal alcohol syndrome.

The Rev. David Sutton. Sutton has served as a community advocate and board member at Sunshine Community Health Center in Talkeetna for the last nine years.

Michele Rider. Rider is a volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for the last five years. She has served more than 1,200 hours advocating for nine teens who have been abused and neglected.

The Dorothy A. Jones Volunteer of the Year award is given annually to a Mat-Su resident who has improved the quality of life for others in the community. Past winners include Jones, Minnie Fisher, James and Faye Palin, George Undt, Lou and Shirley Hoffman, June Liebing, Harold Newcomb, Stacie Stigar, Katie Hurley, Janet Kincaid and Robin Bumgardner.

The annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon is April 28 at noon. The cost is $12, which is payable at the door. The public is invited to attend.

For more information, interested people can call United Way of Mat-Su at 373-5821.