Photo by Jean Stratton, Town Topics
The Princeton Area Community Foundation has announced the seventeenth annual Leslie “Bud” Vivian Award for Community Service. The 2013 award was presented to Mark Freda at a meeting of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad meeting on April 15. A celebration of Mark and the award will be scheduled in the fall at University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro.
The Vivian Award for Community Service, established by members of the Princeton University Class of 1942, recognizes a person who exemplifies the late Bud Vivian’s commitment to serve the whole of the Princeton community. Bud Vivian often saw the need for community action to solve problems, understood how to generate constructive compromise, and had the tenacity to carry solutions through to completion. Previous winners include Marcy Crimmins, Reeves Hicks, Hank Pannell, Jocelyn Helm, Harry Levine, Ted Vial, Harriet Bryan, Pat Van Ness, Claire Jacobus, Anne Reeves, William Johnson, Karl Light, Sarah Hirschman, Shirley Satterfield, James Floyd, Jack Roberts, Ray Wadsworth, and Herb Hobler.
Mark Freda is a life-long resident of Princeton. He served on Borough Council for 13 years, five as Council President during which time he was also the Council representative to the Princeton Housing Authority and to the Borough Affordable Housing Board. He was also Police Commissioner and Chairman of the Public Safety Committee. His is a long-standing commitment to both the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad where he has been president, and the Hook and Ladder company where he has been a volunteer firefighter. Mark is a founding member of the Spirit of Princeton Committee which raises funds for and organizes the annual Memorial Day parade and July 4 fireworks. Throughout his life he has remained true to his roots, always seeking to extend opportunities to all Princeton residents. He considers himself an elected official and volunteer, never a politician. His friends, supporters, and nominators all say the same thing about Mark: “He’s just a terrific person.”
The Leslie “Bud” Vivian Award for Community Service is made possible through the Vivian Memorial Fund, an endowment fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation. The Community Foundation promotes philanthropy and builds community across Mercer County and central New Jersey. It provides charitable giving expertise to individuals, nonprofits and corporations, and makes grants to nonprofit organizations. Since its founding in 1991, the Community Foundation has granted over $43 million back into the community. For more information please contact the Community Foundation at 609-219-1800 or online at www.pacf.org .
