The Sandy Springs Society Blue Ribbon Award was initiated in 1996-97 to encourage new members to actively participate in the Society. The recipient is chosen to honor her involvement, enthusiasm and participation in the many events of the Society.
2016 Winner
Gayle Balkcom
The SSS New Member Blue Ribbon winner for 2015-16 is Gayle Balkcom. She can be described as unassuming, dependable, hardworking, talented, kind, and fun. She goes over and above what is expected. As an active committee member for the Evening with the Elves, she helped with set-up, decorations and with clean-up yet arrived at 7 am Saturday morning to start her shift at the Polar Express Café scooping out balls of dough from a tub onto cookie sheets, way below her talent as a real baker. Without an assigned shift she arrived again Sunday morning at 7 am and worked all day, so she wouldn’t “miss all the fun.” During TOT, she assisted every set-up day with the sales and cashier training. For the Preview Party, she loaned her personal tent to use as the refreshment area, and helped paint, bake, decorate, set-up, serve, and clean up. Gail embodies the true essence of what it means to be a member of the Sandy Springs Society, to work together for a better community.
Gayle joins the past award winners:
1997 Cynthia DeKinder
1998 Jeanette Berger
1999 Cheryl Donaldson
2000 Kathy King
2001 Bernadine Richard and Anne Wray
2002 Jean Ward
2003 Jeanine Lewis and Ann Montague
2004 Beka Whigham
2005 Carol Luther, Maxine Rosen and Brencie Werner
2006 Mary Cox
2007 Marsh Webb
2008 Minnie Bob Campbell and Polly Warren
2009 Suzanne Addicks
2010 Pam Betz and Sheldon Staples
2011 Carol Anne Hendrix
2012 Teri Cloud
2013 Melissa Patterson
2014 Stephanie Nelson
2015 Courtney Rose