PARC luncheon honors area mentors

Teachers, counselors, and detectives among those recognized

Mentors throughout the Columbia Basin had a day to remember Thursday afternoon at the Hallmark Inn.

The Grant County Prevention and Recovery Center held its fifth annual "Bob Skidmore Recognition Event," awarding people in the area who have taken it upon themselves to teach, counsel and protect children and adults from the dangers of alcohol, drug, and tobacco abuse.

The luncheon is named after Bob Skidmore, a former member of the PARC advisory board and a longtime advocate of addiction prevention, who died in 2001.

Skidmore's son Travis delivered the keynote address, where he reminisced about how the death of his brother Trent in 1993 at the hands of a drunk driver led Skidmore on a mission to get inebriated motorists off the road.

"My family did not want to see another family go through the pain of a senseless tragedy," Travis said.

He later referred to the day when a heart attack robbed Travis of his "best friend and mentor."

"It was something I was not prepared for," he said of his father's death. Despite his passing, Travis said his father would have wanted his family to continue with their campaign, and that is what they did.

Travis praised the mentors being honored, saying that their awards exemplify their work and dedication placed in leading others.

"You should be proud of your accomplishments," he said.

Those recognized included detective Brian Jones, from the Moses Lake Police Department; deputy Josh Sainsbury, from the Grant County Sheriff's Office; Ted Lund, from the Kiwanis Club; Georgiann Mueri, from the Mother Teresa-McKay Youth Outreach and Wellness Center in Soap Lake.

Honored as well were Josh and Avery Madsen, members of the Christian youth organization Young Life from Warden; Mary Jo Ybarra-Vega, a counselor at Quincy Middle School; Florentino Hernandez and Geronimo Coronado, from the Washington State Department of Corrections; Karl Allison from the Department of Social and Health Services in Moses Lake, and Christine Garcia, from PARC.

Mentors lead by example and their lives are a testimony of what they teach, Travis said, challenging others to become mentors, as well.

"Join the ranks of people who live what they teach," he said. "It is the lives touched today the ones that will make a difference tomorrow."

He warned them that mentoring is not an easy task, but it is necessary in order to make communities a better place to live.

Jones said he felt "honored" by the award, adding that he was not expecting to be recognized.

"I don't consider myself a mentor," he said. "I just try to show people the right way."

Allison said that surprised as he was by the award, he did see himself as a mentor.

"I have been mentoring kids for 15 to 16 years," he said, mentioning a current 24-year-old member of the Navy whom Allison knows since he was nine years old.

"I consider him my brother," Allison said. "He calls me and sends me cards for Father's Day. It's very rewarding."