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Thursday 5 November 2020 locAl
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Aruban born Ruth Harms honored in Amherst, Massachusetts

prepare to say farewell in pared a packet represent-
December, but for now, we ing each. For instance,
want to celebrate her with Ruth’s love for the yearly
an awesome party! A fun- Daffodil Run to raise funds,
filled, festive, COVID-safe was represented by a bag
drive-by celebration for of daffodil bulbs. They had
Ruth on October 31st be- packets representing the
ginning at 1pm.” yearly Bowl-a-thon, the
Crafts Fair, Summer camp
The date for this celebra- for the “Littles” and the Bar-
tion was not chosen at becue. They also prepared
random. Halloween has packets related specifically
always been Ruth’s favor- to Ruth’s personal love, like
By Tiffany McGee and Sar- ite festivity and over the her love for Aruba. As the
ah Hickman years she organized many cars lined up at the en-
MASSACHUSETTS — Last fund-raising activities for trance of the park, each
week Jessie Cooley, direc- BBBS on Halloween. The one received a packet to
tor of Big Brothers Big Sisters organizers of the festivity be delivered to Ruth when Ruth has put into Big Broth- State Senate extended its
of Hampshire County, sent chose 30 things that Ruth they reached her court. ers Big Sisters for the past 30 congratulations: “In Rec-
out invitations to thousands loves, not necessarily con- years were very apparent ognition of Your 30 Years
of people and businesses nected to BBBS, and pre- The love and dedication on Saturday. Uncountable of Dedicated Service to
reading: “If you know Ruth, members of the commu- Big Brothers, Big Sisters of
you know that her enthu- nity, ‘Bigs’ and ‘Littles’ and Hampshire County.”
siasm and commitment their families, and even
to the ‘Bigs’, the ‘Littles’ a State Representative Harms was recognized on
and their families involved showed up to show their several occasions. In 2015
with BBBS are second-to- gratitude. the Northwestern Chil-
none. She is as dedicated dren’s Advocacy Project
to her work today as she A long line of honking car- honored her with the pres-
was when she began thirty avan of cars decked out tigious Ellen Sedlis Award
years ago. She has decid- with balloons and congrat- which is presented annu-
ed to retire from Big Broth- ulatory messages to Ruth ally to “someone whose
ers Big Sisters at the end of (some even decorated work demonstrates a long-
2020. We will be so sad to with an Aruban flag), and term commitment to help-
see her go, and we can't carrying the gift packets ing children recover from
imagine BBBS of Hampshire attached to a balloon, abuse” and the Senate
County without her. We drove by the circle where of the Commonwealth Of
Ruth, dressed as the late Massachusetts presented
justice RBG, held court. her with a Citation that
reads “In recognition of
There they stopped to de- her outstanding dedica-
liver the retirement gift tion and many valuable
packet or a donation to contributions for years to
BBBS, and in turn, receive Big Brothers Big Sisters of
an Aruba T-shirt and a Hampshire County.” Ruth
souvenir keyholder, cour- was also decorated with
tesy of the North-American membership to the Royal
branch of ATA (Aruba Tour- Dutch Order of Oranje
ism Authority). Everything Nassau and received her
from the decorations on medal from the Dutch Am-
the cars, to the the cos- bassador in Washington,
tumes people were wear- DC. In 1996 the Aruba Tour-
ing and the gifts handed ist Bureau named Ruth and
out of the windows showed her husband Dr. Stephen
how much Ruth has really Hickman Goodwill Ambas-
meant to the community, sadors. Ruth and her family
and how much she is cher- will be spending Christmas
ished for the impact she and New Years in Aruba.q
has made with the children
and families served at Big
Brothers, Big Sisters.

In separate citations pre-
sented by a member of the
Legislature, the Massachu-
setts House of Representa-
tives let it be known that it
offered to Harms its unani-
mous congratulations: “In
recognition of your exem-
plary work and retirement
after 30 years.” And the