Recently retired Grace Community Church Senior Pastor Don Shoemaker received the “Citizen of the Year” award for Seal Beach at the 37th annual Americana Awards, a fundraiser for Cypress College at the Disneyland Hotel honoring local citizens for “their” spirit of giving.
Longtime Rossmoor residents Jim and Shirley Bailey were also awarded as the Citizen(s) of the Year for Rossmoor-Los Alamitos.
Meanwhile, along with other citizens of the year, Anaheim White House Restaurant Owner Bruno Serato who feeds nearly 400 children dinner each week was chosen as “Man of the Year.”
Don Shoemaker has been a part of Seal Beach since 1984 as a pastor of Grace Community Church until stepping down earlier this year.
It was noted that he was quick to underscore the word “community” in the church’s name, seeing his role and that of the church as reaching out and embracing the close-knit town of Seal Beach in happy and sad times.
Shoemaker participated in the annual Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day services at the Seal Beach Eisenhower Park hosted by America Legion and Veteran’s of Foreign Wars and participated in ceremonies at local military installations and in the dedication of the new Seal Beach Fire Station and Community Center and offered 9-11 Remembrances including the first and 10th anniversaries of 9-11, drawing 2,000 people and 750 respectively.
He served as pastor of Los Altos Brethren Church and was assistant professor of Biblical studies at Biola University.
He supported the American Cancer Society Relay for Life; American Red Cross Blood Drives, held two times a year at the church; Project Angel Tree, which provides prison inmates Christmas gifts for their children; Interval House; Precious Life Shelter; Long Beach Rescue Mission; Teen Challenge; Precious Lamb Preschool for children of families in crisis and New Life Beginnings.
He supported the launch and was co-host of IMPACT Seal Beach, a project that involves Seacoast Grace, First Methodist and Damascus Church and other civic groups that combined efforts to clean the city beach and parks.
Shoemaker said his greatest sense of pride and accomplishment comes from serving as senior chaplain for the Seal Beach Police Department.
As chaplain, he lead an effort to raise $21,000 to purchase 14 AED’s, the heart defibrillator units used by the police department and community.
The Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce honored him with the 2007 Community Safety Award for his work on the AED project.
Also, he was recognized with the California Medal of Merit in 2009 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers in 2011; Seal Beach honored him by asking him to serve as grand marshal of the Seal Beach Christmas Parade in 2010.
Jim and Shirley Bailey
Residents of Rossmoor for 40-plus years, the Baileys seem to always find time to make their community a better place. James has been on the Board of Directors of the Los Alamitos Youth Center (he’s past president), the Chamber of Commerce, was active in Los Alamitos Little League, and is involved with his church. Over the years he has also donated over 14 gallons of blood, in order “to help pay back what I received recovering from my war wounds.”
Shirley is a past president of the Women’s Club and has served on the Mayflower pre-school board. In 2003, she was awarded the Laurel High School’s “Heroes of the Heart” award for her service to students. California State University Long Beach Alumni Association recognized her service as International Alumni Chairperson. When Rush Park was established, she helped plant and care for trees, developing an extremely successful incentive program through which residents could “adopt a tree.”
Man of the Year Serato also donated an auction item; dinner for 14 people at his restaurant, raising additional funds for the Cypress College Foundation.
Frank Garcia, last year’s Man of the Year, donated his services to cook dinner for 25 people at a location of their choice – and he made that offer for six different groups, raising thousands of dollars for the Cypress College Americana Foundation.
For Cypress Americana Awards information, visit cypresscollege.ed/about/foundation.
For Cypress College information, call (714) 484-7000 or visit cypresscollege.edu.
