Champion of Service Award

During a meeting of the Florida Cabinet today, Governor Rick Scott and Volunteer Florida Chief Executive Officer Vivian Myrtetus awarded 12-year-olds Chase Hartman and Vance Tomasi with the Volunteer Florida Champion of Service Award, Florida’s official statewide volunteer recognition.

Governor Scott said, “At such a young age, Chase and Vance have devoted their time to giving back and making a difference in their community. Their incredible work to deliver books to students across the state makes them worthy recipients of the Champion of Service Award today.”

Volunteer Florida CEO Vivian Myrtetus said, “Volunteer Florida is honored to give this award to Chase and Vance for their outstanding work in collecting and distributing thousands of books to those in need throughout the state. It’s inspiring to see their commitment and dedication to helping others at only 12 years old.”

About the Champion of Service Recipients
Chase Hartman and Vance Tomasi are two 12 -year-old boys from Tampa, Florida, who created “read. repeat.,” an organization that collects gently used books from companies and individuals and distributes them to those in need. So far, they have collected more than 40,000 books of all kinds. Their most impactful deliveries have been to 10 local Title 1 schools in Florida where they donated a total of 13,000 books, including Sheehy Elementary School, which suffered from a flood and lost classroom libraries, and Lee Elementary School, which burned down days after Hurricane Irma moved through Tampa.  Under the leadership of Chase and Vance, “read. repeat.” makes monthly donations to the James Haley Veterans’ Hospital, with more than 3,000 books donated so far.

During a meeting of the Florida Cabinet today, Governor Rick Scott and Volunteer Florida Chief Executive Officer Chester Spellman awarded Lynne Gassant with the Volunteer Florida Champion of Service Award, Florida’s official statewide volunteer recognition.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to award Lynne with the Champion of Service Award today for her service to the Palm Beach County community and the State of Florida. I applaud her for her passion for helping others and investing her time educating students.”
Volunteer Florida CEO Chester W. Spellman said, “Volunteer Florida is proud to recognize Lynne for her continued leadership and service. We are grateful for the opportunity to recognize the countless hours she has spent helping at-risk students in the Palm Beach County area.”
About the Champion of Service
Lynne Gassant is the Founder and Executive Director of Scholar Career Coaching, a nonprofit organization that provides after school mentoring services to South Florida high school students, particularly those who speak English as a second language. Scholar Career Coaching provides career planning, financial literacy, life skills, and college readiness. Founded in 2012, Scholar Career Coaching’s mission is to coach, motivate, and support students through mentoring and scholarship. Since its creation, Scholar Career Coaching has mentored over 50 students from both Atlantic High School and Boynton Beach High School and awarded 15 scholarships totaling over $7,000 to local graduating seniors.
Volunteer Florida is the Governor’s lead agency for volunteerism and national service in Florida. For more information, visit www.volunteerflorida.org.

During a meeting of the Florida Cabinet today, Governor Rick Scott and Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman awarded Steven Cleveland with the Volunteer Florida Champion of Service Award, Florida’s official statewide volunteer recognition.
Governor Scott said, “I applaud Steven’s commitment to helping and caring for his fellow Floridians in need. As director of the Florida Dream Center Adopt-A-Block, he has provided nearly 2,000 hours of service and inspired other members of the Tampa Bay community to get involved and make difference. I’m honored to recognize his impact on the lives and neighborhoods in his community with the Champion of Service Award today.”
Volunteer Florida Chief Executive Officer Chester W. Spellman said, “Volunteer Florida is honored to recognize Steven for his tireless commitment to Tampa’s underserved families and neighborhoods. We are grateful for the opportunity to recognize Steven for the countless hours he has spent helping his community.”
About the Champion of Service:
Steven Cleveland serves as the Director of the Florida Dream Center Adopt-A-Block program, which mobilizes volunteers throughout the Tampa area to distribute food, clothing, and household necessities to low-income families and persons experiencing homelessness. Adopt-A-Block also organizes neighborhood cleanups and gardening service projects to revitalize Tampa’s low-income areas. Steven has provided over 1,980 hours of civic engagement and community service in the Tampa area, impacting over 13,336 community members. Under Steven’s leadership, the Adopt-A-Block program mobilized 1,579 volunteers in 2016, who served over 5,200 hours of community service, distributed over 18,940 pounds of food, and completed revitalization projects in the local Lealman neighborhood. Steven also serves as a member of the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Executive Board of Directors.
Volunteer Florida is the Governor’s lead agency for volunteerism and national service in Florida, administering more than $32 million in federal, state, and local funding to deliver high-impact national service and volunteer programs in Florida. Volunteer Florida promotes and encourages volunteerism to meet critical needs across the state. Volunteer Florida also serves as Florida’s lead agency for volunteers and donations before, during, and after disasters. For more information, visit: www.volunteerflorida.org.

During a meeting of the Florida Cabinet today, Governor Rick Scott and Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman awarded D.J. Brickler III, M.D. with the Volunteer Florida Champion of Service Award, Florida’s official statewide volunteer recognition for individuals and organizations.

Governor Scott said, “It is an honor to recognize Dr. Brickler for his extraordinary work in the Tallahassee community and for his most recent project, the Air Force Red Tail Project Exhibit. It’s great to see Floridians have a passion for helping others and investing their time in the education of students.” 

Volunteer Florida Chief Executive Officer Chester Spellman said, “Dr. Brickler has deep roots in the Tallahassee community as a beloved physician, community servant, and volunteer advocate. Today we are especially proud to honor him for his work in creating a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, a tribute which has been shared with over 900 students from 11 Leon County schools in conjunction with Black History Month.”

About the Champion of Service: D.J. Brickler III, M.D.
D.J. Brickler III, M.D., is the creator of the Commemorative Air Force Red Tail Project Exhibit. The exhibit is a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, or “Red Tails.” The Tuskegee Airmen were America’s first black military pilots who carried out thousands of missions in Europe during WWII. The exhibit was established in 2014 in conjunction with Black History Month and has become an annual event with over 900 students from 11 Leon County schools in attendance.  Dr. Brickler, a Tallahassee native, has served as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and as Chief of Medical Staff at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.  Dr. Brickler served as Honorary Chairman for the March of Dimes Program from 1998 to 2003 and was awarded The March of Dimes Mission Possible Award in 2003. He also served as a Board Member for the United Way of the Big Bend and as a Director on the Tallahassee Community College Foundation Board. Dr. Brickler has left an indelible mark on Tallahassee by being a faithful steward of public service, striving to build a better community and advocating for children in the community.