Race Committee Honors 3 Volunteers
It takes the efforts of many dedicated, hard-working volunteers to put
on a race like the Commodore Hull Thanksgiving Day 5K Race, and they
generally are the unseen and unheard heroes of the race. Every year, the
Race Committee recognizes some of these unsung heroes for all they do to
make the race a success. Click on any of the pictures above to learn
more about this year's distinguished trio of volunteers.
Vera Gaetano
Vera has been the key assistant to her husband Glenn, the Race Director,
since plans were first hatchd to have a race in 2002. She helps at home
with computer work, making signs, thank you certificates, and the
countless administrative tasks that need to be addressed. She is there
all year and especially so the final week when a hundred things happen,
some unexpected.
Gaetano said, " I am most thankful that Vera has given me the time to
work the race. She devotes many hours in helping throughout the year,
and then the final week is a great help with registration, pick-up and
last day events. She is the one who provides the great raffle every
year. I am fortunate to have her as my spouse and assistant, and the 5K
is fortunate to have such a dedicated, organized person."
A native of Bergen, NY, Vera joined the US navy and spent 4 yrs active
duty and 16 in the Naval Reserve before retiring as a Chief petty
Officer Hospital Corpsman. Most noteworthy is that Vera was part of the
first group of female sailors to be stationed on a US ship home ported
outside the US. This was the USS Puget Sound AD-38, flagship for the
6th Fleet Admiral in Gata, Italy, in 1981. She was also stationed in
California, Virginia and North Carolina, often working with the Marines
as a Naval Corpsman.
A graduate of the University of Vermont, Vera is a Consumer Science
Teacher at Shelton
High School and has two children, Tyler, 16, and Emily 13. When not
preparing for the race and taking care of her garden and 4 cats and dog
Daisy, Vera loves to ski, visit the ocean and ethnic restaurants.
Janet Brolet
The 5K had another great volunteer join us in 2003 when Sandi Aurilio
asked her good friend Janet Brolet to help her with registration.
Janet, an Executive Assistant at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics in
Brookfield the past 8 yrs and a resident of Newtown, has been an
enthusiastic, professional help to the race in many areas: registration,
packet pickup and the new chip department.
Gaetano said that " the 5K is known for its volunteers and Janet
personifies the spirit of the race and community. She is an unsung
volunteer. We all thank her and it must be noted that with the snow of
3 years ago and heavy fog of last year, Janet made it to the Market at
6AM each morning. She won the "longest distance travelled" by a
volunteer.
Born in Carbondale, Pa, she moved around as her dad was an aerospace
engineer. Pompton Plains, NJ, Monroe, Ct, and Boca Raton, Fl are her
past homes with Newton being home the past 24 yrs. She actually met her
husband, who has passed away, in Connecticut.
Janet is thrilled to have her children, Kim 32 in West Haven, and Jason
30 and Emily 24 in Newtown nearby and looks forward to a great
Thanksgiving dinner with them. We thank all 3 for letting us have Janet
for the race.
Judy Fenyo
Judy Fenyo has ben the Chief Financial Officer for the race committee
for the past 6 yrs. She has managed our money and given us the great
news each year as to the thousands of dollars raised for the Boys and
Girls Club. She coordinates all application information and is a big
help the day of the race. She has also been a great help in getting
race sponsors and raffle prizes.
A native of Romania with parents of Hungarian heritage, Judy came to the
US and Queens, NY in 1972. She then lived in Norwalk before moving to
Shelton. She has been employed at the Boys and Girls Club since 2003.
Gaetano said. " Judy gave the 5K a great boost when she joined us as the
CFO in 2003. It is a treat having such a professional taking care of the
financial side of the race. She has also been a great asset to our
registration process and a personal help to me. We appreciate her many
hours and support."
Judy has two daughters, Christine, a recent Univerty of New Haven
graduate, who lives in Shelton and Jo-Ann, who lives in Arizona. If Judy
is not in Shelton you might find her visiting her precious grandchildren
in Arizona, Grace 7 and Michael 3. Her husband Bob is employed by
Amtrak.
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