Saturday night during its annual banquet and fund-raising auctions, the Koinonia Foundation awarded Jill and Randy Bright its highest honor as recipients of the 2016 Russell Dew Community Service Award.
The dinner was held at The Forks Cafeteria, and the proceeds from the auctions – silent and open – will allow the foundation to continue to support community organizations like ChurchNet. ChurchNet is a nonprofit that assists people with utility bills and Koinonia’s 2016 Mission Fund Focus, and about $11,000 was raised to help it Saturday night. Koinonia also helps individuals in need; 95 percent of its funds are paid out in grants.
The Russell Dew award is given to an individual or individuals who serve others selflessly, especially the disadvantaged in the community, and does it in a quiet, unassuming way so that most people never know of their good deeds.
Ruth Ann Dyer was the presenter for the award and said the following in her introduction: “Tonight we honor such a couple that serves individually and together but both are always serving our community.
Even though they grew up in the same church, they did not actually meet until they were 16. They dated through high school and college and have been married almost 40 years. They continue to be a part of that church family. They also are part of a family business and an integral part of this community.
He was a volunteer fireman and has service on the Wake Forest Fire Department board of directors for 25 years. She serves on the fire department’s Ladies Auxiliary, and she has served or held leadership position on the Wake Forest College Birthplace Society and the Wake Forest Historical Museum, the Trentini Scholarship Foundation, Junior Women’s Club, Fourth of July Committee, and the Community Christmas Dinner Committee.
If there is a dinner or function for one of these organizations, you can bet she has done the decorating for the tables or coordinated getting it done. She has also been known to shovel snow and is always blowing leaves for these events.
All the while, she was being a super mom to a son and a daughter: always involved in the PTA, always the room mother extraordinary, involved in all their sports.
According to her other-in-law, she is devoted to the needs of other. An example: after Hurricane Fran she was out delivering water, ice and other supplies to many of the elderly in the community who were without power.
According to his mother-in-law and reinforced by his mother, he is a dedicated perfectionist who is always putting others first. He is totally humble in whatever he does and never seeks recognition. He does what he does because it is the “right thing to do.” Plus, it is his passion.
As a member of our Veteran’s Memorial Committee, he had an integral part in the design and construction of our beautiful memorial that is located next to the Heritage Clubhouse.
According to his wife, a mid-life crisis led him to riding motorcycles and joining the Rolling Thunder Bikers. He is now a captain for the Patriot Guard Riders started in 2005. At the request of families, the Patriot Guard provides an honor guard, a flag line and/or a motorcycle escort for the funeral of any veteran, any military service member killed in action or for a welcome home ceremony. Many nights while the rest of us are relaxing in the comfort of our homes, this couple is a at RDU putting out the large flags that you see at funerals and memorial ceremonies around town. They are there to welcome home a service member or a fallen warrior.
He also gives to many without their knowledge. Over the years he has created and placed monuments at the gravesites of people who could not afford one for their loves ones. He places the monuments after much time has passed so that no one suspects he is the giver.
In their business, they are on call to serve us 24/7. Even when it is their every other weekend off, the phone can ring and everything will change. But it is always their honor to serve.
Theirs is a somber business, but they are not without a sense of humor. She jokes, “If you want to get to heaven, you must come through Bright Funeral Home first.”
