Three inducted into Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame

Photo courtesy of Chesterfield County Gerald Sakats (from left), Iris L. Sakats and Eldridge W. Brock are this year's inductees into the Chesterfield Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame.

Eldridge W. Brock, Gerald Sakats and Iris L. Sakats were inducted into the Chesterfield Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame late last month during a ceremony at the county government complex. The hall of fame is for county residents who have made outstanding volunteer contributions after the age of 65.

Brock is a retired U.S. Army aviator and management consulting director. He was instrumental in initiating and developing the Shepherd's Center of Chesterfield, which empowers seniors through educational opportunities, transportation and home-repair services. He also has built handicap ramps for seniors, chaired a committee that brought additional services for the homeless to the county, and taken youths on flights to interest them in aviation.

Gerald Sakats is a retired electrical engineer, and Iris L. Sakats is a homemaker. The couple has volunteered as court-appointed special advocates with Chesterfield CASA Inc. for seven years. They have jointly advocated for 12 children from Chesterfield County and Colonial Heights, monitored cases involving abused or neglected children for compliance with court orders, and independently investigated cases to provide information to the court.

This year, 18 senior volunteers were nominated for the awards.

"Some of our nominees had as many as 2,000 or more hours of volunteer service to those in need in our community," said Gail Sutler, chair of the Chesterfield Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame Committee. "The selection panel had the difficult task of selecting only three for induction when all deserved to be inducted."