Pair of Phoenixville Residents Honored with Chesco Legacy Awards

Two Phoenixville residents were recently honored in Chester County.

The Chester County Community Foundation’s 2012 Legacy Awards Celebration was held at West Chester University and attended by business people and supporters from throughout the county. 

The Legacy Awards are an annual celebration of philanthropic good works throughout Chester County. A total of five awards were given out this year and area residents received two of them. 

One of the awards presented was the Youth Philanthropy award. This year’s recipient is Anna Marie Rubino, a senior at Phoenixville Area High School.  

Annie was nominated by Dr. Lou Beccaria, the President and CEO of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation. 

“Annie is one of the most impressive young people I have ever had the privilege to work with in my long career. She has been a tremendous help to our Activate Phoenixville Area community wellness Steering Committee and has made a great contribution to the success of the program since she has been involved over the past several years,” said Beccaria.   

Annie has demonstrated outstanding philanthropic leadership capabilities and is very involved in volunteer activities both inside and outside of her school. In addition to being a founding member of the Community Steering Committee of Activate Phoenixville Area, she started and now serves as President of the PAHS Activate Club. Annie is also involved in many other organizations at the high school including Varsity Club, National Honor Society and Student Council.

As the winner of this year’s Youth Philanthropy award Annie chose Activate Phoenixville Area as her financial award recipient. Activate Phoenixville Area (APA) is a community wellness coalition committed to fostering healthier lifestyles in our community. APA connects community members with health/wellness opportunities, events and programs and acts as a clearinghouse for the information, education and resources that exist within the Phoenixville area.

Another one of the awards presented was The Door Opener Award, which recognizes professional advisors who strongly promote legacy philanthropy locally. This year’s recipient was Robb S. Frees, the owner of Frees Insurance, Inc.

Robb was selected for this award because he encourages colleagues and friends to become involved with charities. 

As a result of Robb’s counsel, guidance and example, many others in the community have become involved with charitable giving through Legacy Planning.  

As a third generation businessman in Phoenixville, Robb believes in strong community involvement and has volunteered his time with several organizations over the years including the Phoenixville Hospital Board, the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation Board, and the Phoenixville Healthcare Access Board, among others.

As the winner of this year’s Door Opener Award, Robb was able to direct an award contribution to a charity of his choice. Robb chose the Phoenixville Community Education Foundation (PCEF) as his recipient charity. PCEF is a non-profit charitable organization and public-private partnership dedicated to improving the future of public education in the Phoenixville Area. 

PCEF endeavors to provide funding for programs and projects not funded by the school district budget, including after-school clubs and organizations and new initiatives in the classrooms, along with support to area pre-schools and community organizations working with children in Phoenixville.

Congratulations to both Annie and Robb, Phoenixville should be proud.