SAMMIs honor service
March 16, 2009
By J.B. Wogan
Sandra Hopper, a longtime music instructor who founded the Sammamish Music Club in 1992, won the 2009 SAMMI Arts Award. Hopper’s Club holds a piano festival every year. Photo by J.B. Wogan
Deb Sogge peered out into the audience from her well-lit podium in the Eastlake High School theater.
“Wow. I didn’t expect this. I lost my shoe on the way, I was so nervous,” Sogge said as she accepted the SAMMI Business Award March 14.
Sogge, a Sammamish resident for 25 years, is the new executive director of the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce. She asked people to keep their consumer spending as local as possible.
Sogge was one of 10 winners at the 2009 SAMMI Awards Ceremony.Dellann Elliott, a Sammamish resident for 17 years, recounted how she moved to the area with her husband Chris to start a new life for their family. When he died of brain cancer, she devoted herself to improving the ways doctors diagnose and treat brain cancer. Elliott founded a non-profit that has been recognized across the country for its work to fight brain cancer. Elliott has raised almost $1 million for the cause.
“I’m extremely proud to live here,” Elliott said.
Brent Campbell, who won on the basis of his work to educate teenagers and parents about the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, included a message with his acceptance speech. He urged parents to educate their children about the dangers of drug use, communicate with their children about drugs, keep prescription medications out of the house or stored away some place safe, and to model good behavior.
“The kids are watching us,” Campbell said.
While the show had its serious moments, hosts Mark Reilly and Connie Walsworth added some light humor to the occasion. Reilly began the show with a fake arrow through the head and performed a magic trick with cards. Master Chorus Eastside added to the fun with a few short songs including “Buffalo Gals” and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
There were a few changes from previous years. One was the National Charity League’s presence.
The league, a mother-daughter nonprofit organization, provided volunteers to serve food before and after the ceremony.
The ceremony also had a new award. Walsworth, part of the SAMMI board of directors and a hostess for the ceremony, said the Founders Award was meant to recognize a repeat nominee that hadn’t won in the past.
The Founders Award wouldn’t be handed out every year, but in special cases like Kristin Pitt’s, it might be necessary to call attention to the varied and extraordinary work that a person has done, year after year, Walsworth said.
Pitt has been a nominee in at least one category every year since 2002.
Pitt’s resume includes serving as a president of several PTSAs and as a board member for the Boys and Girls Club, and raising guide dogs.
One of her current endeavors is advocating in favor of a teen recreation center in Sammamish, something Pitt referenced in her acceptance speech.
“We’ll continue to work for a teen center. It’s just too important not to,” she said.
2009 SAMMI award winners
- Sandra Hopper (Arts)
- Dellan Elliott (Spirit of Sammamish)
- Matt Larsen (Courage)
- Brent Campbell (Youth Advocate)
- Karen Bach (Learning Promotion)
- Julia Williams (Unsung Hero)
- Max Sussman (Teen Spirit)
- Kristin Pitt (Founders)
- Monisha Gulibani (Trevor Price)
- Deb Sogge (Business)
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com. To comment on this story, visit www.SammamishReview.com.
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