Pynchon Award honoring those who serve the community

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Three people who have dedicated themselves to making the Springfield area a better place to live are being honored for their work.

The Advertising Club of Western Massachusetts has named Ellen W. Freyman, Stephen E. Hays, and Robert J. Perry as the winners of the annual William Pynchon Medal.

The award, which is named after Springfield’s founder, is given out every year to people who demonstrate “exceptional community and civic service.”

Freyman, a Longmeadow resident, is an attorney who is credited with helping save Springfield’s Dunbar Community Center. She is also a co-founder of the non-profit organization On Board, Inc., and has been working to help Springfield’s Somali community adjust to life in the United States.

An artist and Springfield resident, Hayes has founded several institutions that have been a part of the city for decades. He founded the former StageWest in 1967, The Drama Studio in 1987, and is also responsible for the creation of the annual Boar’s Head Festival, which draws thousands to the city’s Forest Park neighborhood. Hays is also active in community organizations, such as the Forest Park Civic Association, the Springfield Cultural Council, and the Springfield Historic Commission.

Perry, of Wilbraham, has been instrumental in the Millbrook Scholar’s Program, which in conjunction with the Children’s Study Home helps mentor and assist young people, as they complete high school and community college. He has also served as president of the board for Springfield Habitat for Humanity, to which he and his wife recently donated $70,000.

Freyman, Hays, and Perry will be awarded during a ceremony at Chez Josef in Agawam on November 15. 22News will emcee the event. For tickets, call (413) 736-2582.