A New LV-UC Tradition: The Tutor Appreciation Dinner
"Welcome to Kahunaville! Wish you were here!" That's the greeting you'll receive any time you phone the Kahunaville restaurant in Jersey Gardens Mall, Elizabeth. It expresses our sentiments, too, if you happened to miss the Tutor Appreciation Dinner. We missed you! Wish you had been there!
63 tutors and Board members gathered at Kahunaville on December 10, 2002 for an evening of complimentary fine dining from a variety of diverse and exotic selections. Door prizes were given away at a frenzied pace. Winners took home everything from CDs, men's and women's cologne (compliments of L'Oreal) and manicures to movie passes and tickets to shows at Radio City. Attendees heard from the LV Union County Board of Directors who thanked them for their dedicated service.
The Tutor Appreciation Dinner recognized every LV-UC tutor for all they do to help others. Special awards, however, were presented to four individuals who have given above and beyond their weekly tutoring commitment. Ted Behne was recognized for his service as our volunteer newsletter editor. Carmela Camus was honored for unselfishly utilizing her Spanish to contact, assess and encourage our Spanish-speaking students in Elizabeth. Her administrative assistance is invaluable. We expressed our deepest gratitude to Marvin Smith for donating over 200 hours of his time last year. That's in addition to his regular tutoring! His help in the office and with a variety of projects is priceless. Our final award was presented to Alberta Machese. At 87 years old, Alberta has been tutoring English for the past seven years at the Elizabeth Public Library. She has tutored over 100 learners. When asked about the effect she thinks she's had on all these people, she modestly replied, "I'm glad I gave them a helping hand. This is what we're supposed to do."
By the end, it was clear that everyone had enjoyed the evening. Many expressed their gratitude to the efficient wait staff and for the FREE Ben & Jerry's ice cream. We heard how many appreciated the chance to see their fellow tutors again. "I thought it was fantastic!" Alberta said enthusiastically. "I enjoyed it very, very much."
