You Honored My Parents When You Called My Name.

Okay... something else really wonderful happened to me a few days after I broke my foot! Another blessing to enjoy!

On Saturday, March 13th - Pt.Pleasant Elks Lodge No. 1698 surprised me by honoring me with their 2010 "Elks Distinguished Citizenship Award!"

And my rambling speech that left relatives looking for a hook went something like this:

Oh good gosh - I hope my cousins didn't hijack this award away from the citizen who earned it just because of my foot??!! Is there someone tied up in the closet downstairs??!!

Who could believe that a person would receive an award from The Elks the same week she needed to borrow one of your wheel chairs?! You can't even make this up, but my thanks to the Elks for the help!

Oh my gosh - Thank you... thank you so much! I'm so surprised and so humbled to have my name mentioned in this glorious hometown hall. It is in the Elks Lodge - where I have watched the real giants and selfless leaders of our community work tirelessly and consistently for the benefit of children, the handicapped, veterans and beyond all my life!

My family salutes and celebrates everything that makes the Pt. Pleasant Elks the support system to kids that it has been for decades in our community. This is the hall of Christmas parties past, rummage sales, and all the summer barbeques that I still remember. In this hall where my Aunt Mary and Uncle Chris Brusgard celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary, where my friends Sue & John were married, where showers, fundraisers and celebrations prevailed.

I feel so at blessed tonight as I literally stand in the backdrop of my childhood home on Lincoln Avenue in Pt. Pleasant where I lived from 1959 to October 1973.

My dad - Michael Joseph Hart - was proud to be an Elk and a Pop Warner Coach in the 1960's and I watched him in awe as he went on to support student athletes as a ref and umpire in high school football, baseball and basketball in New Jersey for 25 years.

With reverence and pride, I accept this award on behalf my Dad and on behalf of my beautiful mother - Cecilia Hart - who represented - what so many women in this room represent today - and that is the BEST a Pop Warner Football Mom had to offer. She nurtured and supported so many friends & family members. Our home was open to everyone. Some of her "Pop Warner Boys" - as she would call them - would visit or live with us; most would stay in touch for the rest of their lives.

And then there were my brothers and sisters - Michael, Colleen, Jimmy, Sean, Kathy, Maggie, and Brendan ; my 189 second cousins, the amazing aunts, uncles and friends who make a difference in my life every single day and who I share this award with now. There is no successful fundraiser without a crowd and these are the people I always get to sell the first 100 tickets to!

From Uncle John on his hand-carved fiddle to Uncle Wally cleaning up the morning after, to cousins Patrick, Michael & our friend Joanna for their extraordinary musical gifts, to Aunt Mary who always showed up with the 40 Irish Dancers.... to the entire Brusgard family building all those floats for 30 years - some of them moved to Maryland and Erie, PA and Utah to make sure they'd never get Float Duty again!!!!

Growing up, I got to live in two towns with Joe Rager, the Jordan & Hines Families, Dan DiCorcia, the Veprek Brothers and the late Don Fioretti, Gene Gourley, Gene Bissey & so many others... how could a person not be inspired? Bob Haugh - "The Pope of Pt. Pleasant" - is part of the foundation of this lodge with his wife Sharon - how could I not be inspired?!!

I was #5 in a family of eight and the only real NON-ATHLETE - I tried out for Pop Warner cheerleading - my 50 year old cousin Kathy ALWAYS MADE THE TEAM! So did all her sisters...

I didn't NOT make it because I was bad.... Folks I was awful!! Good gosh - acknowleding my limits, I'd go on to become the school mascot - the FIRST Pt. Pleasant Beach Garnet Gull! Yes - the dancing bird - wings, beek and all. The Pt. Pleasant Elks taught me that if you can't be a cheerleader like Kathy THEN always make sure that you're a fan of someone or something...

I was always an admirer & fan of former Elk and the late Connie Vucolo - for more than 20 years he carried on, complained, snarled and enjoyed every minute we spent together carting over 1,000 children on HIS motorized floats for the Lion's Club Tube Races, Pt. Pleasant Halloween Parade, Spirit Weeks, and Memorial Day. Without fail, our friends John and Carol Ann supported this effort everytime I called! The warm bright light of Connie's memory and his laughter is alive in this room and in my heart tonight.

There can be no parade float without a truck; no successful fundraiser without a crowd; no joy greater than my wonderful extended family; and I can think of no greater privilege in my life than to receive this wonderful award from an organization that my parents revered while standing in the shadow of my childhood home.

Oh - what a night! My thanks to my friend and Elks Exalted Ruler Carol Ann McMenamy, Cousins Karen & Anne, Bob and Sharon Haugh and to everyone who attended. You all made me forget the foot and for a beautiful moment - I felt like a Golden Elks Champion!

Thank you so much.

Love,
Everybody's Cousin Tish