MAYREE BERNSTEIN NAMED WXXI’S VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

WXXI Public Broadcasting

280 State Street. PO Box 30021

Rochester, New York 14603-3021

585/325-7500

wxxi.org

Kristin Tutino, Publicist: 585/258-0253

For Immediate Release

Rochester, NY (April 30, 2013) –  Brighton resident Mayree Bernstein received the Charles M. Wise Volunteer of the Year award at WXXI’s Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony on April 25th. Recognized for her outstanding dedication to the station, Bernstein and more than 100 WXXI volunteers attended the event at WXXI’s studios.

The Charles M. Wise Volunteer of the Year Award, named after the late Charles (Chuck) Wise – a loyal WXXI volunteer for many years, stands as a testament to Wise’s unwavering spirit of volunteerism. Each year, a committee of WXXI staff members identifies one volunteer who has been an ambassador for the mission of public broadcasting in our community. Bernstein was unanimously selected.

Bernstein has been volunteering at WXXI for the past 13 years, and in 2012 she logged more than 175 hours. Her volunteer work includes reading for Reachout Radio, answering phones during membership drives, assisting with tours of the station, helping out during special events at WXXI and the Little Theatre, and manning the WXXI booth at festivals. She also serves as a member of WXXI’s Volunteer Leadership Council. In addition to her volunteer work at the station, she also donates her time at the Winton Road Library.

Bernstein worked as a computer programmer in Boston before coming to the Rochester in 1982. She moved to the area to help her husband open a restaurant (Café Elise). In Rochester, she worked at Xerox as a project leader for 13 years, and as a tech writer at Nortel for five years. She retired in 2010.
Other volunteers recognized at the awards ceremony included:

• Mark Becker received the Jack of All Trades Award
• Mary Hussong-Kallen received the Extra Mile Award
• Henry Metzger received the Producer Award
• Noah Morris received the Rookie of the Year
• Dolores Parlato, Jim Sheldon, Alice McRae, and Carolyn Wise received the Group Award
• Ryan Tait received the Youth Award

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WXXI is the essential, life-long educational media resource for the Greater Rochester area. WXXI puts the community first with programming that stimulates and expands thought, inspires the spirit, opens cultural horizons and promotes understanding of diverse community issues. The formal affiliation between WXXI and the Little Theatre, established in December 2011, enables the two organizations to work more efficiently by pooling resources and strengths in a number of areas including back-office operation and improved fundraising capabilities.  Log on to wxxi.org for more information about our services and programs.