Saratoga News


Mary Jeanne Fenn	John Tauchi

Rotary Club names two 'Volunteers of the Year'

Library, Hakone reap benefits

By Chantal Lamers

In a break from tradition, the Rotary Club named two Saratogans as Volunteers of the Year for 1996. They are Mary Jeanne Fenn and John Tauchi.

Since 1993, the Saratoga Rotary Club has selected one volunteer for the annual honor. This year, however, the board deadlocked on two of the nominees, and no one could decide who was more worthy.

The award is designed to recognize a person who, "without consideration of business, personal or political gain, has significantly contributed to our community."

Tauchi was honored for his work with the Saratoga Sister City organization. The organization was formed in 1982 to form a relationship with the city Muko-shi, Japan. Tauchi was a part of the foundation of that relationship and its continuing growth.

Tauchi, a retired IBM employee, said that throughout the years his favorite part of volunteering has been meeting many different kinds of people.

Saratoga resident Jim Welden nominated Tauchi for the award after he and his wife traveled with Tauchi on one of his volunteer trips.

Tauchi has escorted groups to countries such as Japan, Australia and China.

"He is extremely committed to keeping the Sister City relationship growing," Welden said.

However, Tauchi's volunteering has gone beyond serving as a tour guide. As the president of the Sister Cities board, he actually helped cement the group's foundation through his ability to speak Japanese.

Tauchi also volunteered to be a translator while plans for the Hakone Gardens Cultural Exchange Center were being negotiated.

As president of the Hakone Foundation board, he and his wife, Aiko, were the minds behind the opening of the Hakone Gift Shop. He managed and cooked for a rummage sale and even volunteered as a parking fee collector for the event.

He said that when he found out he was being honored by the Rotary Club, his reaction was, "Wow."

Fenn had the same reaction when she heard she had been recognized. "I was very surprised. There are a lot of people in Saratoga worthier than I," Fenn said.

Fenn volunteers her time as manager of the Book-Go-Round, a fundraising arm of Friends of the Saratoga Libraries.

According to Deborah Coburn Rice, who nominated Fenn, "she spends endless hours there, both when the shop is open and when it's closed."

Fenn began volunteering at the Argonaut Elementary School library in 1986, when her children were students there. When Fenn was encouraged by a friend to volunteer as manager of the Book-Go-Round, she jumped in with both feet.

"This year," Fenn said, "we raised between $60,000 and $70,000. When you think about it, it's all funded by recycled books. It's kind of exciting."

Fenn has also spent the past few years volunteering for the American Association of University Women. Through that organization, she has worked on committees benefiting homeless women and children.

At the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, Fenn volunteers on the board of directors as an ambassador who plans business mixers.

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