This year's recipient of the Brainerd Area Sertoma Club's Service to Mankind award is Doug Johnson.
Each year, the club honors a member of the community who does not belong to the club but epitomizes the type of service to the community that they themselves hold dearly, a news release stated.
Johnson thought he had been asked to help with a presentation about the Good Samaritan Bowl at Sertoma when he was presented with the award. After a long career as an educator, Johnson retired and continues to help and influence many people in the community. He is a lifetime member of the Bethany Auxiliary Club, a group of men and women dedicated to improving the lives of of those associated with the Good Samaritan Society's many facilities. The group is dedicated to volunteerism and fundraising.
Johnson is the No. 1 contributor at Good Samaritan bake sales and a frequent griller at their brat sales. He also serves on their scholarship committee. This year, Johnson was named the 2017 Good Samaritan Bowl Community Ambassador. He has been involved with this fundraiser since its beginning 14 years ago. He coordinates three bowling teams and three silent auction tables at the event, generating hundreds of dollars for Trinity Lutheran Church, Sons of Norway and the Brainerd Elks.
"Because of Doug's deep understanding of the Good Samaritan Society's mission and ministry, he is a frequent speaker on their behalf and their chosen representative at the Brainerd High School Scholarship Night," the release stated.
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"No one can tell the Good Samaritan story better than Doug can," said Liz Czanda, who accompanied Johnson on their supposed mission to present to Sertoma, in the release. "Why? Because he lives it every day."
Attending the event to be a part of honoring a special parishioner was Rev. Dave Holte from Trinity Lutheran Church. His nomination letter talked about all the jobs Johnson does for the pastor and the congregation, including: opening up and locking up the church every Sunday, getting coffee ready for the Sunday volunteers, setting up every Wednesday night worship, overseeing and tracking attendance for every service, chairing the intern committee, baking caramel rolls for special events and doing all public relations for the newspaper.
"Doug actually hand-writes and delivers Christmas cards to each and every member of the congregation," Holte said in the release.
Sertoma President Jaime Rowlette attends Trinity and remembers Johnson as being the first person he met. Johnson is a favorite of Rowlette's daughters, who appreciate his special hello every Sunday.
To sum up this Service to Mankind winner is difficult because so many wonderful things were mentioned, but he was called "special friend," "counselor" and "confidant to staff" in many responses, the release stated.
An additional plaque was awarded to the group's Rookie of the Year, Bob Carter.
"This has been a great thing for me as a newly retired person who just moved to the area," Carter stated in the release. The camaraderie of the club and the chance to acquire a whole new set of friends was cited by Carter as his motivation for joining and becoming a very active member.
The Brainerd Area Sertoma Club meets at noon every Wednesday at Connie's Kitchen in Brainerd.
