The Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club will honor Joan Sheppard of Godfrey with the Gordon F. Moore “Service Above Self” Award at a banquet on April 23rd at The Commons at Lewis and Clark Community College. 

Mrs. Sheppard has selflessly served numerous community organizations and agencies.  The award, named for Dr. Gordon F. Moore, a long-time member of the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club and a man who served the community in many volunteer capacities including leading the effort to establish the expansive Alton park that now bears his name, is presented by the Rotary Club to a non-Rotarian who has made major volunteer contributions to the Alton-Godfrey area in the spirit of the Rotary slogan of “Service Above Self.”

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“Joan has been a tireless advocate for great causes here in the Alton-Godfrey area,” says John Hopkins, president of the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club.  “But, more than just advocating, Joan has given of her time and talents to make our community a better place to live and work.”

Proceeds from the banquet will be used to support the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club's Student of the Year scholarship and a new Industrial Arts scholarship established by the Club for students enrolling at Lewis and Clark Community College.

Tickets for the banquet are $50 each.  Tables of eight may be reserved for $400 and includes sponsor recognition.  Tickets may be reserved by contacting event chairman Steve Tassinari at 466-5474, CNB Bank and Trust at 465-5656, Norton and Rain Insurance at 462-4455, Carrollton Bank at 467-1700, and Liberty Bank at 462-7000.  The April 23rd banquet begins with a social time from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner and the award program.

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Known for her boundless energy and steadfast enthusiam, Sheppard's lengthy resume highlights the breadth of her efforts, which range from classroom volunteer to president of the Alton School Board, from actress and fundraiser for Alton Little Theater to tireless supporter of the “Rivers of Color” garden at Lewis and Clark Community College and the Miles Davis Memorial statue to be placed in downtown Alton.

After meeting as undergraduates at the University of Illinois, Joan and husband Chuck have made their home in Godfrey for more than 60 years.  Joan began her volunteer career on the YWCA's House and Garden Tour Committee and served as a founding member of the Alton Area Animal Aid Association (5A's).

Joan's early activities revolved primarily around her children:  C.A.S., Sarah, Amy, and Rachel.  As her children grew, so did the list of organizations (more than 50) that she supported.  Her legacy of community involvement continues to inspire her 12 grandchildren.

Joan loves gardening.  The Sheppard's bluff-top home and garden has been featured multiple times on home and garden tours, including the prestigious Nature Conservancy's Open Garden Day.  Due in part to Joan's efforts, Lewis and Clark Community College's Monticello Sculpture Gardens will achieve “Botanical Garden” status this summer.

Even a partial listing of the organizations Sheppard has assisted indicates the intensity and depth of her community service, including the Alton Park and Recreation Oriental-International Garden Committee, Alton Sesquicentennial Committee, Alton Community Service League, Alton Education Foundation, American Red Cross, Great Rivers Land Trust, Junior League, Lewis and Clark Community College Foundation, Madison County Urban League, Missouri Botannical Garden, Missouri Historical Society, NAACP, Pride, Inc., River Bend Growth Association, St. Anthony's Health Center, St. Joseph's Auxiliary, Robert Wadlow Statue Committee, and YWCA.

Previous winners of the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club's Gordon F. Moore “Service Above Self” Award include Kathy Nash, Jack Jacoby, Paul Lauschke, Jim Goodwin, Linda Nevlin and Norma Glazebrook.