FULTON – With more than 1,000 dedicated volunteers devoting their time and talents to Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) choosing a recipient for the agency’s Howard Wilcox Volunteer of the Year Award is a difficult task.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented OCO with a plethora of challenges and obstacles that at times seemed insurmountable. Thanks to the dedication and commitment of its volunteers and staff, OCO has continued to provide uninterrupted services to its consumers.
While the efforts of OCO’s volunteers are truly exceptional, one volunteer stood out for his continued commitment to OCO and his willingness to go above and beyond in his support of OCO and improving the quality of life for those the agency serves.
Rich Burritt, fourth generation owner of Burritt Motors, has positively impacted OCO in numerous ways. For the past five years Burritt has spearheaded yearly “Day of Caring” projects and has lent his support to numerous fundraising events for OCO. When it comes to giving back to his community and helping OCO and those it serves, he is the embodiment of the phrase “Go Big or Go Home!”
“Rich is like a modern day wizard, who can pull off what would seem to most to be both unthinkable and impossible,” said OCO Development Coordinator Bridget Dolbear.
As part of United Way’s “Day of Caring” Burritt has taken the lead on projects that require significant manpower and funds. It started in 2017 when Burritt chose to makeover one of OCO’s residences for people with developmental disabilities. In 2019 he stepped up once again, this time working on two of OCO’s residences.
For each project Burritt assembles a group of volunteers consisting of employees of Burritt Motors, other local businesses, OCO employees and even members of his own family. In addition he rallied a group of like-minded local business owners to donate materials as well as food and drink for the volunteers. The improvements on these homes included painting, landscaping, planting gardens, pruning and removing trees, creating patio areas complete with grills and more.
“It was amazing and truly inspiring to see what Rich and the other volunteers he recruited over the years have accomplished,” said Dolbear. “In addition to these projects, and others like them, Rich has helped sponsor, and been a part of, many of OCO’s fundraising events. Last year Rich brought Burritt Motors’ Locavore food truck to our Glow-A-Fun golf tournament and provide the food for 100 tournament guests.”
“Rich’s efforts benefit not only OCO and those we serve, but our community as well,” added OCO Executive Director Diane Cooper-Currier. “He is an exceptional person and we are thankful for his commitment to help those in need. We are thankful for the support of Rich Burritt of Burritt Motors and all of our volunteers. It’s truly amazing to think about the number of volunteers we have and the amount of time each devotes to helping us achieve our mission of empowering people, supporting the community and changing lives. We greatly appreciate Rich and each and every one of our volunteers. We can’t thank them enough for all they do for OCO. It is my pleasure to recognize Rich with OCO’s Howard Wilcox Volunteer of the year award.”
Did you know? A private, non-profit agency, OCO touches the lives of approximately 16,000 people each year through more than 50 programs operating in 100 locations throughout Oswego County. The agency, which is a United Way of Greater Oswego County member, employs more than 600 people and has over 1200 highly valued volunteers. For more information, visit OCO’s website at www.oco.org. Now you know … it’s OCO!
missing or outdated ad config