ShawneeDispatch.com

The Shawnee Convention & Visitors Bureau named Donna Sawyer the 2011 recipient of its “Good Starts Here Award” this week.

Sawyer, who serves as chairwoman of the Old Shawnee Days Society, accepted the award Wednesday, May 11, during the annual Shawnee Tourism Celebration luncheon at Shawnee Town Hall, according to a news release from the visitors bureau.

Bureau chairman Clifton Alexander said Sawyer was deserving of the honor.

“A lot of us really don’t appreciate all the effort that goes into the planning and executing all of the exciting events and festivals we have here in Shawnee,” he said. “They just don’t happen. There is someone behind the scenes making them happen, and Donna is one of those unsung heroes who, when something is going on here, it is a pretty good bet she has played a role in making it happen.”

Sawyer is the third person to receive the award, presented for outstanding service to Shawnee tourism.

She has served for many years as a member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and is a co-chair of the Shawnee St. Patrick’s Parade Committee. She and her husband, Shawnee City Council member Neal Sawyer, have two adult daughters and three grandchildren.

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