Dick Polley is active in Kiwanis, Relay for Life, city panels and more

Albert Lean Dick Polley is a man who’s touched almost every part of the community.

Whether it’s a humanitarian, faith-based or civic responsibility, Polley has done a lot — and all while wearing a smile.

He is one of two people who will be recognized with the 2010 Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award at the Freeborn County Fair at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

“I do it to give back to the community what I feel like I received from it,” Polley, 78, said about why he volunteers. “There’s probably a lot people in Albert Lea and Freeborn County who are deserving of this.”

“Dick is always giving of his time and talents to make our community a better place to live,” added Catherine Buboltz, a Tribune sales representative who nominated Polley for the award. “He is very generous with his time.”

The following is a brief description of some of his past and current volunteer efforts:

Humanitarian

Retired from Holsum Foods and Streater, Polley is active in the Daybreakers Kiwanis Club, having served as president and secretary in the past. He’s also been awarded Kiwanian of the Year a couple times.

He provides transportation for senior citizens to and from doctors’ offices, hospitals and nursing homes as needed.

He helps with handicap accessible projects, such as building ramps and installing handicap toilets, to help those who have a hard time with mobility.

He also volunteers for the Freeborn County Relay for Life and Freeborn County Bike-A-Thon, raising funds for fighting cancer and walking at the Relay for Life event. He was the caregiver for his wife during her battle with cancer.

Polley said he has also been involved with the Loaves and Fishes program and volunteers at the Ecumenical Food Pantry, uploading the Channel One truck once a month, and especially during the mail carrier’s food drive.

He said he likes to work with people and help people when he can.

Faith

Polley is in his third, three-year term as an elder at First Presbyterian Church and actively works to promote Christian living throughout the area, he said. He was a Sunday school teacher last year at the church.

He has also served as a chairman of the property committee there as well, keeping the property up to date for use by members and guests.

He has sponsored a child in Honduras, worked on a Christmas shoe box program, which collects items to be shipped to children in need all over the world.

He said he works every year at Godfather’s Pizza during the fair to raise funds for kids’ mission trips, among others.

Civic

Maybe most notably, Polley served on the Albert Lea Planning Commission for 20 years, and as chairman for 10 years. He also served on the city Board of Zoning Appeals for 10 years and as chairman for seven.

Throughout the years he has been involved with numerous programs aimed at helping make the city and county a better place to live, including the Albert Lea Listens and Minnesota Design Team processes.

He also spent one summer presenting a program to service clubs and organizations about all the new businesses and industries in the area.

“For some reason people in Albert Lea tend to think that nothing positive is going on in the community in the way of development,” Polley said in a Nov. 17, 2000, Tribune article. “It just isn’t true.”

He set out to educate the public about the economic development going on around Albert Lea.

Polley also still drives a shuttle for the kids day at the Big Island Rendezvous and helps with hazardous waste collection, giving people a way to get rid of their household hazardous waste.

In addition to the county recognition, Polley will be recognized during the state Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award recognition program at the Minnesota State Fair on Senior Day, Sept. 2.

Past Outstanding Senior Volunteers to be recognized:
The Freeborn County Agricultural Society invites past Outstanding Senior Volunteers to attend the Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award program at Entertainment Square at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Freeborn County Fair. The fair would like to acknowledge former recipients during the ceremony.
Attendees should report to Pennie Ladlie at Entertainment Square at 12:30 p.m. Admission is $4 for those 65 and older and parking is $5. Call 373-6965 by Wednesday.