It was the honor of a lifetime for Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast Board Member Dan Lillard as he was recognized as the Santa Barbara County Volunteer of the Year at the Annual National Philanthropy Day event, hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties Chapter.
The celebratory dinner, held at Levity Live in Oxnard on November 4, acknowledged several charitable individuals across Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties for their work in giving back to the communities they are a part of. Dan was nominated by the team at BGCMCC for his dedication to the Board, as well as his avid participation in fundraising events for the organization and his brief stint as Interim CEO in 2024.
While Dan and his wife, Codi, were unable to attend due to other family commitments, his parents, Joe and Mara Lillard, accepted the award on his behalf. Other BGCMCC staff, Roberto Rodriguez and Kelly Brickey, and Board President Debbie Perrault also attended the event in support of Dan’s huge achievement.
Despite not being there in person, Dan gave a brief acceptance speech in regards to the accolade, mentioning how meaningful it was for his parents to bring him into the fold of philanthropy many years ago.
“In lieu of my presence, I’ve asked my parents to attend and accept this honor on my behalf. They are the real reason I am in this position to be receiving this recognition. And if I’m being honest, it’s as much theirs as it is mine, if not more,” Dan said emotionally in his video speech.
Joe added his own remarks upon taking the stage for Dan, noting, “Mara and I are so proud Dan has chosen to dedicate much of his time and his energy towards improving the lives of children in Santa Maria and the Central Coast.”
In that same vein, Joe also mentioned with adoration, “Now they say that fathers inspire their sons, but in this case, it’s the son whose inspired the father.”
Dan has been involved with Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast since 2008 (and unofficially before then) and has continued to be actively involved as much as possible ever since.
Congratulations to Dan on being awarded this honor!
Recent Comments