Tigard Chamber Names 2011 Shining Stars “From the Heart” Tigard Volunteer of the Year

The Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) is pleased to announce that Chris Garsteck is the 2011 Shining Stars “From the Heart” Tigard Volunteer of the Year, named in honor of Jim Hartman.  The “From The Heart” award honors a person who has dedicated their time and energy to a specific cause in the Tigard community.  Jim Hartman set the standard for this award by his example of giving from the heart to his community.  This person gives willingly, energetically and consistently.  This person might be well known or might be a “quiet” volunteer, unrecognized until now, but always gives “from the heart”!  This person may have worked on the same project for many years. Chris Garsteck exemplifies these characteristics with her tireless advocacy for Tigard Dog Parks and truly takes to heart the desire to be a responsible dog owner, a good neighbor and an architect of goodwill for the city’s dog parks.  She is a long-time member of the Tigard Dog Park Committee and has become the public face of the committee through their public  outreach:  The Dog Days of Tigard, the annual Halloween Costume Contest, park clean-up and maintenance events and more.  Chris gives from her heart and has been seen frequently in the dog park filling in holes that have been dug, “picking up” after negligent owners and checking the grounds for safety issues.  She is always friendly and genuinely happy to talk with park users.  She plays the role of park ambassador to perfection! Chris has recruited great people to join the Tigard Dog Park Committee, all of whom seem to share the same dedication to building a great playground for dog people and the pets they love.  She is greatly aware of the responsibility that comes with operating a dog park and is committed to lessening the burden of park upkeep on the city’s Park staff.  She is tireless in her efforts to encourage residents to get involved and practice good park stewardship, no matter where they walk, run or play in the city.  Her sense of responsibility, dedication and respect for Tigard’s parks, canines and their owners makes her a shining example of the “From the Heart” award.  The volunteer work she does everyday shows us all what is possible when the community works together to build a place for everyone to enjoy. The “From the Heart”, Tigard Volunteer of the Year award will be formally presented at the 2011 Shining Stars Community Awards Banquet sponsored by Platinum Title Sponsor West Coast Bank and held on Saturday, May 7th, 2011 from 6-9 p.m. at Embassy Suites – Washington Square, event location host.  Join us to honor all award winners at this event. For further details about Shining Stars, please contact the Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce at 503-639-1656 or at info@tigardchamber.org.  To register to attend this event, click here  Register Here About Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) The TACC, established in 1955, is a forward thinking membership organization which provides opportunities for consistent and sustainable long-term business growth!  The TACC is creating a strong, interconnected business community where strength through collaboration and power through partnerships makes Business Soar. We do this by building a strong local economy, providing business networking, being involved in our community and representing the interests of business with government.