Local seniors honored at 2023 Shelby Awards

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SIDNEY — A Sidney man was named Outstandng Senior Citizen of the Year Wednesday during the Senior Center of Sidney-Shelby County’s annual Shelby Awards to show their appreciate and honor the senior citizens of Shelby County.

Bruce Toal, of Sidney, received the honor for his community involvement. Some of the reasons he was chosen for the award include; contributing the local community economy with small businesses, participating as a board member of the Salvation Army, supporting Council of Religious Education and coordinating prayer groups, serving as a Gideon in the community for the past 10-plus years by speaking at churches and passing out bibles, being involved in the local jail ministry, a current board member for Christian Academy, former board member of the Women’s Abuse Shelter, serves the Arukah House in Mississippi which is an addiction recovery ministry and currently serves on the Highgrounds Cafe Board and is an investor in the Hemisphere Coffee Roasters which directly supports women who have been trafficked. Toal is involved in many more organizations to support the community and organizations within it, his involvement and support is why he was chosen as the Shelby County Outstanding Senior Citizen of the Year.

Every year, each county in Ohio nominates a senior for the Outstanding Senior Citizen of The Year, which is considered for the state award, but Shelby County does the annual event slightly differently than most counties. Rather than just honoring a small number of nominees and the county winner, the Senior Center of Sidney-Shelby County hosts the Shelby Awards, a banquet to honor all seniors in the county with lunch served by volunteer students from Sidney High School, entertainment provided by Affinity Care music therapist Sam Osterwisch, superlative awards, an Organization of the Year Award and, of course, the Outstanding Senior Citizen of the Year award.

Many of the county’s seniors attended the banquet including representatives from the 12 sponsors: Affinity Care, Fair Haven, Momentous Health, Ohio Living Home Health, Versailles Health Care, Wilson Health, Senior Center of Sidney-Shelby County, Catholic Social Services, The Landings of Sidney, Ohio Living Dorothy Love, Seniormark and Wilson Home Health/Hospice. Also in attendance were city of Sidney Mayor Mardie Milligan and Shelby County Commissioner Tony Bornhorst.

“I believe that we can best demonstrate our gratitude by making sure that Sidney is a great place in which to grow older, and a place in which older people can find the encouragement, acceptance, assistance and services they need to continue to lead lives of independence and dignity,” said Milligan.

“Greatest generation, sitting in those chairs right now, thank you for all you’ve done for our community, for our county, for our state and for our country,” said Bornhorst. “Congratulations to being here today and enjoy this day, because it’s your special day.”

This year’s nominees for Outstanding Senior of the Year were nominated by other members of the community and include Ron Argabright, of Sidney; Dan and Kim Cecil, of Sidney; John Covelli, of Sidney; Janet Fischbaugh, of Sidney; Toal; and Judy Zimmerman, of Sidney. The Outstanding Senior Citizen Award is organized through the Area Agency on Aging with local county committees naming their winner and candidate for the state level award. It is given to someone that has been a long time volunteer and have helped to enhance the lives of others.

This year, The Shelby Awards included superlative awards for Best Smile, Most Contagious Laugh, Best Sense of Humor, Most Enthusiastic and Best Prankster. The winner of each category was voted for by Shelby Award attendees. The winners are: Best Smile, Ron Argabright; Most Contagious Laugh, Deb Lee; Best Sense of Humor, Deb Lee; Most Enthusiastic, Eric Shoemaker; and Best Prankster, Richard Crossan.

Also awarded at the Shelby Awards was the Outstanding Organization of the Year Award. The considered nominees were kept confidential by the Shelby County Committee and they determined the 2023 winner is the Landings of Sidney for the many ways they have reached seniors in the community to serve and enhance their lives.

“This year’s organization is well known for many things,” said Shelia Nuss, board president for the Senior Center of Sidney-Shelby County. “They participated in the ringing of the bells, Shelby County Parade, they painted picnic tables for the local park, sponsored many school sports through the season and helped with lunches for the seniors at different events. They recently started a lunchbox program that occasionally takes a meal out to a senior if they need it. They focus on senior residents maybe going through a tough time due to loneliness, injury, sickness or maybe just need a smile or a friendly face, we all need that occasionally don’t we? They offer this to local and surrounding residents for a short period of time.”

“They reach out and are active in the surrounding community in any way they possibly can. That way, helping our community flourish as they believe every life is precious. They are one of our local facilities that offers a 24 hour nursing care which structures activities and many choices for their residents,” said Nuss.

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