Two outstanding Red Cross volunteers received awards at our annual Idaho meeting in August. For the second year in a row, Barbara Weber is the winner of the Dane Watkins Exceptional Volunteer Engagement Award. This award is given to the Idaho volunteer who logged the most hours in the past year. Watkins is a longtime Red Cross board member and supporter from Idaho Falls.

Barbara logged an amazing 1,818 hours last year, serving as a Disaster Workforce Manager volunteer partner, a regional training lead and a deployment and disaster action team coordinator, to name just a few of her many titles.

DeAnn Stoolman is this year’s winner of the Roy Eiguren Leadership Award. This annual award is given to an Idaho Red Cross volunteer who exhibits innovation and exemplary service in support of our mission. Eiguren is the co-chair of the Idaho Red Cross board of directors and also serves on the Red Cross National Philanthropic Board.

DeAnn is a founder of the Animal Visitation program in Idaho and Montana. As part of this program, Red Cross volunteers and their four-legged companions visit Gowen Field for deployment and family day events and work with patients at Boise VA hospice care. DeAnn recruited 35 members from our community partner Idaho Go Team Therapy Dogs and together with her co-volunteers – Golden Labs Charlie and Frannie – provides comfort and care to our military communities.