This was a very emotional week for us as Rotarians with the Park City Rotary Club. For over 40 years our Rotary Club has been honoring citizens of the year for their tireless and impactful contributions to make Park City a better place to live. This is an award that has true meaning – not just for those who receive them, but for all of us who make Park City and Summit County our home.
Last week we recognized citizens Beano Solomon and Duane ‘Dar’ Hendrickson. Many in our community know Beano and Dar. But many do not. But all of us have been touched by what both of them have brought to Park City – each in their separate way.
Beano’s focus on philanthropy has provided countless opportunities for kids in our underserved Latino community. She played a pivotal role in the establishment of a new home for the Children’s Justice Center, an important cause for our Rotary Club. Just this week, Mountainlands Community Housing Trust, in concert with the Park City Community Foundation, announced a million contribution to affordable housing, which will impact families across our community. And her work has helped ensure strong medical leadership at the People’s Health Clinic as well as bringing vision assistance to underserved communities in Park City with The Hope Alliance.
Dar has been our town’s pied piper for nearly four decades. Who hasn’t run into his pack of Devo Team skiers on the hill at Park City Mountain and been greeted with a ‘Best Day Ever’ shoutout. Yah, he taught them to ski and race – but he mostly taught them about life and being good citizens.
In a world today where we all find it very easy to identify little things that are wrong with our town, these citizens remind us of what is right with our community and the life we are blessed to lead here in Park City and Summit County!
We all live in a fast-paced environment with our often tumble-turvy lives. What struck me most about both Beano and Dar was that they took the time to step back and do what was right. And it was never about them. It was always about their community!
Beano looked into the future and saw challenges that our community needed to address. So she found partners and led them to develop programs that would make a difference for youth and for underserved populations within our community.
Dar was a ski coach who went far beyond sport. But he used sport to teach remarkable lessons to kids. He left a lasting impression on generations of young boys and girls who are now the adults in our community.
Let’s all take just a minute to step back ourselves and look around us. We live in a remarkable place of natural beauty. But what makes it more beautiful is not the mountains or the trails. It is the people of our community.
We honor Dar and Beano not just to give them a trophy or to acknowledge them in the Miners’ Day parade. We do it to remind everyone in our town that we are all better off by working together for our common good. And there is nothing more gratifying than serving others.
That’s what makes our community great!