The Sweet Home Elks Lodge named Shannon Thayer the National Elks Foundation Distinguished Citizen for Sweet Home at a ceremony held Friday evening at the Elks Lodge.
Each Elks lodge can present one of these awards each year, Exalted Ruler Ron Sharrah said. As far as he has been able to determine, this is the first year that the Sweet Home Elks have given the award.
Sharrah said Thayer has been a major player in the Oregon Jamboree, established to help Sweet Home recover from the economic crisis it faced in the early 1990s.
“There were a number of people mentioned when I canvassed the community,” he said. “There was one individual that kept coming up. I didn’t know this person till she walked through the door tonight.”
Thayer brings energy and dedication as she helps put programs together, he said. “She has contributed significantly to the success of Sweet Home.”
“I’ve heard so much about Shannon,” Sharrah said. “Her energy and dedication has been amazing. She is an organized, dedicated individual, a real stalwart.”
Thayer was shocked and surprised when he said her name in the next breath and as she went forward to receive the award.
“I just want to thank you all,” she said, and gesturing toward those attending the dinner, “Most of these people out here do most of the work.
“It was like a complete shocker, but I am honored. What a great honor. Of all the people that I work with throughout the year, they’re so much more deserving.”
The award is given to Elks members frequently, Sharrah said, but really Elks members can’t really qualify. Their activities fall along the narrower interests of Elks programs.
“They’re too busy being an Elk,” he said. “This is good for the lodge and good for the community, and we plan to do it every year.”
Thayer has lived in Sweet Home for seven years. She started working as a volunteer with the Jamboree and then joined the staff as promotions and marketing coordinator.
She is involved in the Sweet Home Active Revitalization Effort on the Programming and Marketing Committee. She also serves on the Murals Committee and is a playground assistant at Sweet Home Charter School. She recently stepped down as chairwoman of the Programming and Marketing Committee because of other commitments.
“I just really want my kids to grow up and be proud of Sweet Home, proud of where they come from,” said Thayer, who grew up in Portland. Her husband, Justin, grew up in Sweet Home, and her children are growing up here. “I wanted to just embrace that. He has a history, and my kids have a history here.”
Sweet Home is a part of her life now, she said, and she wants it to be a place worthy of pride.
She doesn’t like to be the center of attention, Thayer said. “This, to me, was like my worst nightmare, but it was such an honor that people would recognize volunteer efforts, but there are so many more deserving people.”
And she ticked off a long list of Sweet Home volunteers she insists make Sweet Home such a great place.
The award was very appropriate, City Manager Craig Martin said. “She’s enthusiastic. She leads groups without being a real dominant leader. I think it’s just her positive energy that brings people along.”
Martin has worked with her through SHARE and on the first downtown cleanup event.
“She just goes about doing things efficiently and quietly,” Martin said.
City Councilor Scott McKee Jr. said Thayer is encouraging and motivating.
“She’s a very active, enthusiastic person, positive, tries to see the bright side of things,” he said.
She loves the community and gives her personal time to make it a better place for her family and for everyone, said McKee, who has worked with Thayer through the Jamboree and community cleanup events. He also has worked with her and Jamboree Event Manager Peter LaPonte as they assist with the Sweet Home Rodeo. McKee serves on the rodeo board.
Nancy Patton works with Thayer on the SHARE programming and marketing committee and succeeded Thayer as chairwoman. Thayer is able to see the strengths of different people, using them where they are most effective.
She is humble and a tremendous asset to the community, Patton said.
“I love her,” Patton said. “She is energetic, bubbly and positive. There’s nothing that anybody can do to upset her. She always has a solution for things. She always allows people to work as a team.”