[Archived from September 25, 2009]
[by Shiela Steinman Wallace]
WLKY-TV has announced the 2009 Bell Awards will go to Sandi Friedson , Robinson S. Brown III, Terri Connolly, George Gates, Anne Gregory, Howard Holloman Jr., Dr. Ronald Lehocky, Joyce Seymour, Toni Rose and Marjorie Vititoe. In addition, youth awards will go to Shelby Comstock and Seville Shirley.
The WLKY Spirit of Louisville Foundation is celebrating its 32nd year overseeing the Bell Awards program. The program recognizes individuals who have demonstrated the true “spirit of Louisville” through selfless volunteer service in our community. The recipients came from nearly eighty nominations received from the Louisville and surrounding area this year.
The WLKY Bell Award recipients will be honored at a banquet at the Galt House Hotel & Suites East Grand Ballroom on Wednesday, September 30. A special one-hour production of The Bell Awards will air on WLKY Saturday, October 17, from 8-9 p.m.
The Award Recipients
Despite her current battle with cancer, Sandi Friedson refuses to slow down. Sandi Friedson came to Louisville 13 years ago from Indianapolis. For more than 30 years, she was an elementary school teacher, working with 2nd-6th graders, including a number of years working in a gifted and talented program.
In Indianapolis, she was a life member of National Council of Jewish Women, so when she came to Louisville and knew only one other person, she joined the Louisville section to make friends and become involved in her new community.
Since then, she has served the section as chair of the Education Committee, vice president of the Nearly New Shop – a post she held for six years, and president. During her term as president, the NCJW Run/Walk program was begun and she was a member of that committee. Today, she continues to serve the Louisville Section as Kentucky State Public Affairs chair.
She is an active volunteer with the Jewish Family & Career Services, serving on marketing and development committees, finance committee, and current vice president and a member of the Executive Committee.
She is currently on the Boards of the, Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS), Family & Children’s Place, Community Coordinated Child Care and California and Iroquois Day Care Center Boards. In addition, she has served on the Board of the Louisville Visual Arts Association, where she chaired the Children’s Free Art Classes, Dinnerworks and the art auction. She also served on the America Reads steering committee where she trained adult and children tutors and constructed questions for certain books for the tutors to use to develop children’s insight to understand.
“I enjoy living in Louisville,” Friedson said. “It is a very welcoming city.
“I am very honored to receive a Bell Award,” she continued, “and honored that JFCS would nominate me.
Friedson earned both a B.S. and an M.S. in education from Indiana University.
She and her husband, Barry, are members of The Temple. They have three children, Jeff Friedson, Ilene Currier and David Friedson; and one grandson, Jason Friedson.