Fallbrook Woman's Club honors their own

FALLBROOK – At the annual Honoring Our Own meeting in March, two members were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Fallbrook Woman’s Club for 2009-2010. One was recognized as Woman of the Year and the other as Volunteer of the Year. The awards are presented annually for outstanding volunteerism and commitment to the club’s principles and activities.

Jane Bongiovanni was chosen as Volunteer of the Year for her selfless devotion to the “Rockin’ with Santa” program and Pre-K Mommy & Me, both involving children of active service Marines of Camp Pendleton. Bongiovanni was Public Affairs Citizenship Chairman this year and also received Camp Pendleton’s YMCA Volunteer of the Year award for chairing these events.

Bongiovanni is second vice president of membership and co-chaired an elegant new member tea that netted the club 19 new members. As part of Art in the Community, she chaired Arts in the Park where she had a hat booth for children. She is active in all aspects of the club’s activities. Her volunteer hours are among the highest in the club’s membership and she has been a member since 2000.

Kathleen Gerard received the Woman of the Year award. She is sixth vice president in charge of rental and leases for the clubhouse and manages the rental properties. She was co-chairman of the Velvet Cat Home Tour, a major club fundraiser, and represented the club on their first venture onto television to promote the event.

Gerard co-chaired the 4th of July event at the Grand Tradition where the club is known as “The Apple Pie and Ice Cream Ladies.” She is the club’s Web site creator, beginning an Internet presence at

http://www.cfwc.org/fallbrook. She also served on a grant writing committee, serves on the Fallbrook Beautification Alliance committee and is chairman for the Adopt-A-Road program for which she has recruited two local Girl Scout troops to assist in the clean up of Main Avenue. She has been a member since 2007.