On Thursday, April 10th, long-time CT volunteer Carmen Dowell was named the United Way of Lane County's Arts & Culture Volunteer of the Year, in recognition of her many contributions to Cottage Theatre. Carmen is the Props Coordinator for CT, she has stage managed several shows, and also has appeared on our stage numerous times. (You may remember her as the woman hopping around in one ice skate in Almost, Maine earlier this season.) Carmen also volunteers with Special Olympics and has helped some of her friends from that program get involved at Cottage Theatre.
Cottage Theatre Executive Director Susan Goes comments that "Carmen is the type of person who naturally gives herself to others – and she does so with a broad smile on her face. If someone needs something, it’s not uncommon to see Carmen on the scene in a very short time. She puts others at ease, she has a positive “can do” attitude no matter what problem needs to be overcome, and her cheerfulness is contagious."
Thanks to Carmen's award, Cottage Theatre is the grateful recipient of an unexpected $500 grant from the Community Leaders Together program of the Eugene Register Guard.
We are also proud to report that two of the other seven volunteers honored by the United Way of Lane County this year also have Cottage Theatre connections: Chris Ferguson, honored for his work in Education, has performed on our stage several times, and Tom English, honored in the "Civic and Community" category, is a long-time Cottage Theatre subscriber. We thank and congratulate all of these wonderful volunteers!
