The Santa Barbara Foundation honored John Daly and Judy Stapelmann as its 78th People of the Year during a special recognition ceremony held Wednesday.
The event was a hybrid in-person and virtual ceremony, with an in-person portion that was livestreamed for the public to watch, during which Daly and Staplemann were presented with the awards.
“This award has a rich history in our community,” said Stevie Hicks, vice chair of the Santa Barbara Foundation Board of Trustees. “Recipients are selected from a wide range of candidates who have been nominated by community members. The award honors Santa Barbara-area individuals, couples or families whose volunteer service represents a meaningful commitment to the community; addresses real community needs or enhances the quality of life in the Santa Barbara area; or has involved acts of generosity, kindness or innovation.”
Nominators and sponsors spoke about the impacts that Daly and Stapelmann have made in Santa Barbara, especially given the context of the COVID-19 pandemic during the past year and a half.
“Despite all that continues to happen all around us, it feels even more important to be here today celebrating the people who give tirelessly of their time, treasure and talent to our community, especially during a time when the impact of community service can be felt the most,” said Janet Garufis, chairman and CEO of Montecito Bank & Trust, a Legacy sponsor for the event.
Daly has been volunteering and mentoring young men for about 11 years, since he began working with Court Appointed Special Advocates, and later with the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse’s Fighting Back mentor program, United Way of Santa Barbara Couny, the Anti-Defamation League and Partners in Education, among others.
“I am so happy that the Santa Barbara Foundation is recognizing John for his volunteer work,” said Catherine Remak, a talk show host and 2020 Woman of the Year, who had nominated Daly. “How lucky are we to have John in this community — changing lives every day with love and enthusiasm?”
He even started The Key Class, a program that teaches social etiquette skills and “will give students the knowledge they need in the subjects they care about so they can be ready to fulfill their dreams and reach their potential,” the website states.
“I’ve learned that each and every person is fighting a battle of his or her life that we know nothing about. This has taught me love and compassion for the person that may be having a hard day in their life,” Daly said while accepting the award Wednesday. “I’m humbled, as well as proud, to be amongst the names of Santa Barbara’s greatest people.”
Meanwhile, Stapelmann has been volunteering in the Santa Barbara area for nearly 50 years, since she started volunteering with Planned Parenthood California Central Coast in 1975.
Stapelmann also has been involved with several environmental organizations over the years.
“Judy’s interest in the environment and preservation of open space has led her to a lifetime of active involvement in charitable organizations that contribute to the long-term health of the planet,” said Sherry Madsen, former vice president of development of Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, who was one of Stapelmann’s nominators.
Some of the environmental groups Stapelmann has supported or volunteered with include the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Environmental Defense Center, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, the Wilding Museum, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and several others.
“Volunteering has been personally very rewarding,” Stapelmann said Wednesday. “If you can do something that would make the world a better place in a way that’s important to you, you will be rewarded.”
Stapelmann also recognized Jean Schuyler, who received the Woman of the Year award in 1997, as her mentor and inspiration in volunteering.
“My mentor and hero Jean Schuyler received this award long ago and she is a hard act to follow in some ways, and in some ways it’s great that she’s forged the path that we can follow,” Stapelmann said. “I’m trying to do what Jean would do.”
Sponsors for the 2021 People of the Year recognition ceremony include the Santa Barbara Foundation, Montecito Bank & Trust, Noozhawk, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, Bryant and Sons Ltd. and Merryl Brown Events.
The Santa Barbara Foundation plans to hold an in-person celebration for the 2020, 2021 and 2022 People of the Year recipients in 2022, as long as it is safe to hold large gatherings.
— Noozhawk staff writer Serena Guentz can be reached at sguentz@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.