By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
About two weeks before the governor’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order went into effect, more than 100 people gathered at the WKTV station, located at 5261 Clyde Park Ave. SW, to celebrate another great year of community programming.
At the annual Volunteer Banquet, which was held at the WKTV station, giving volunteers an opportunity to check out the recently finished construction work that added a new facade to the station’s main control room along with creating a second floor above Studio A. In fact, the new meeting space already has been used for a video shoot in February.
WKTV also added to its offerings with the creation of a new podcast room where about 20 shows are taped and filmed with the video housed on the Whole Picture Podcast Facebook page and the podcasts also can be found on the WKTV Journal website.
As always, the annual banquet is designed to recognize the many amazing contributions of the WKTV volunteers.
This year’s Volunteer of the Year, Scott Baisden, has spent plenty of time at the WKTV station, clocking in more than 1,000 volunteer hours while also editing and producing shows. Baisden has done a number of handyman jobs from various construction projects to landscaping. He also has lent his expertise to several WKTV productions and podcasts.
This year’s Community Service Programming recipient also is no stranger to WKTV. Mike Moll has been a WKTV volunteer for nine years and he might be a familiar face to many as he is one of the hosts for the WKTV Sports program. Moll also has written sports articles for the WKTV Journal and served as a host for a number of WKTV projects.
Recognition was given to volunteers for both years of volunteer service as well as hours of service in 2019. Following is a list of those recognized as well as their programs or volunteer areas for those honored for years of service.
From the left, Latesha Clay and Bernadine Francis were recognized as new volunteers. (Photo by Pat Moll) 
From left, Cynthia Johnson and Randy Galaszewski received their Five-Year Awards. (Photo by Pat Moll) 
Becci Schumaker received the 10-year-Award. (Photo by Pat Moll) 
Allen Wegener received the 20-Year Award.
20 Years
Allen Wegener – Variety of shows throughout the years
10 Years
Beccie Schumaker – Sports/Concerts
5 Years
Cynthia Johnson – Sports/Parades
Randy Galaszewski – Anything Goes/Sports/Concerts
New Volunteers
Cynthia Best – Volunteer
Latesha Clay – L.I.P. Street Team
Bernadine Francis – Studio Productions
Dana Knight – Productions Involving Arts and Culture
Riley Zoet – WKTV Sports
1 – 25 Hours
Judy Bergsma – WKTV Board Member/ Reading Train
Caleb Butler – Former staff / Remotes /Council meetings
Paul Chittenden – Indie Filmmaker / Podcasting
Sagar Dangal – WKTV News /Bhutanese Talk Podcast
Joe DeJong – Infinity & Beyond Podcast
Randy Galaszewski – Anything Goes / Summer Concerts
Cynthia Johnson – Holiday Parades
Phyllis Koslow – Grand Rapids Symphonette
William McKenny – L.I.P. Street Team and Truck Remotes
Pat Moll – Photographer WKTV News
Linda Pacic – Host Parades and Specials
Les Raebel – WKTV Board
Don Schumaker – Golden Gloves
Laura Szczepanek – The Polish Pod Café Podcast
Andrew Shelest – Construction
Nathan Slauer – WKTV News
Mark Tangen – Metro Cruise
Mike Van Druemel – WKTV Fix it Man
Dick Visser – WKTV Board Member
Pat Williams – Volunteer
26 -– 50 Hours
Doug Hansen – Sports
Paul Kabelman – WKTV Sports
Romeo Keels – L.I.P. Street Team + Truck Productions
Kyle Misak – Indie Filmmaker
Reid Petro – Indie Filmmaker
Prakash Rai – WKTV News / Sports
Tom Sibley – Veterans / Sid Lenger Travel Shows
Bob Serulla – Golden Gloves / Metro Cruise
Wayne Thomas – Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters Podcasts
Meochia Thompson – New Cooking Show/ WKTV News
51 – 99 Hours
Carrie Bradstreet – Anything Goes Podcast / WKTV News Host/ 10
Mark Bergsma – WKTV Sports
Anne Cope – Why Don’t We Have Our Own Podcast
Ron Schultz – WKTV Sports
100 Hour Club
Val Fisher
Gary Vande Velde
Scott Wiseman
Kyle Cortez
Allen Wegenar
Monique Keels
Darius Young
Stephanie Norton
Renee Karadsheh
Becci Schumaker
Bill Rinderkencht
Mike Bacon
Kathy Norton
Mike Moll
Matt Kavaluskis
Matt Zuby
Michael McCallum
Rose Hammond
Doug Remtema
Scott Baisden
