Vote For The State’s Top Volunteer Over Age 50

 

Richard Garber of Sheridan reports that despite being 84 years old, he and his wife, Elaine Henry, are still “going full blast.” Garber’s Andrus Award nomination, courtesy of Cody Sinclair, would back that assertion.

Garber is a native of Sheridan County and still lives on some of the land his family homesteaded in the early 1880s. While many in Sheridan County know him for his 38 years as a sales rep, store manager, and owner of John Deere implement stores in Sheridan and Gillette, his philanthropic work is just as impressive.

“Richard’s love of people and energy is inspiring,” Sinclair said. “He brings people together and motivates them to be a part of a team to get the important work done. When others shy away from tough work and big challenges, Richard rolls up his sleeves, calls people together, sets lofty goals and then achieves them.”

Garber was a Chamber of Commerce Board member in Sheridan from 2012-2018, serving as president and chairing the Government Affairs Committee. He has been on the Sheridan Memorial Hospital Foundation board from 2018 to 2023, the Sheridan Hospital Board, the Big Horn Cemetery Board, and worked with Dementia-Friendly Wyoming.

Despite his time helping others, Garber was surprised to hear he was nominated and a finalist for the Andrus Award, telling AARP Wyoming, “Oh my gosh. It is unbelievable. Holy smokes. What a surprise. There are so many people who do the same thing. It isn’t just one person; it takes a village. What an honor.”

Sinclair’s nomination points out that Garber is a connector who is always looking for ways to bring people together. During his time on the board of Sheridan Memorial Hospital’s Foundation, he co-chaired campaigns that netted $5 million for transitional care and another $8.2 million for Behavioral Health. The Behavioral Health campaign has led to the construction of the hospital’s Behavioral Health Center. That is a big deal in a state that has just 51 psychiatrists in its borders, ranking it 49th per capita in the US.

“The new center will provide the infrastructure and specialized psychiatric care (two psychiatrists will lead the center) needed in our community,” Sinclair said. “The space will include areas for outpatient treatment, crisis stabilization and inpatient care, providing services for individuals no matter where they are in their health care journey. I am so pleased with how Richard’s involvement will improve the lives of so many people needing this care.”

Garber and his wife, the artist Elaine Henry, have been married for 34 years. Garber has four children, and Elaine has two of her own. Garber credits Elaine for helping him with his volunteer work in the community.

“She is a large part of helping me do what I do,” Garber said. “She is the same way. She puts her shoulder to the wheel and does what is right at the right time. We work great as a team.”

 

Twenty-two and a half days. Go ahead, do the math. Double check your work if you want, but the fact is Bliss Ragsdale, age 81, of Sheridan, volunteered the equivalent of 22 and one-half days last year. Here’s the kicker - he’s given another four days this year as of mid-June.

“I have a lot of time on my hands,” said Ragsdale. “This is the best way I can think of to spend the time.”

Bliss was nominated for the Andrus Award by Kristen Marcus, the director of CHAPS, an accredited therapeutic equine riding center that serves children, veterans, women, survivors of domestic violence and more through adaptive riding, adaptive carriage driving, equine-facilitated psychotherapy and equine-assisted learning.

“Bliss chooses to be here day after day,” Marcus said. “He says this is his happy place. When Bliss is here, he always has a smile and a kind word for everyone.”

Ragsdale has been a volunteer at CHAPS for the past 14 years and currently serves as its Board President, offers riding lessons, helps groom and tack horses, provides support for participants and supports horses during mental health sessions. As an event volunteer, he has saddled horses, prepared riders, answered questions at booths and advocated for our programs.

“Without Bliss here, some lessons would not happen,” Marcus said. “He is here to support those participants, and without that support, it is not safe to run the lesson.”

Ragsdale moved to Sheridan in 2015 after living in Green River and working for Solvay Chemicals, which services the trona mines in Southwest Wyoming. Ragsdale was a computer tech who helped build the company's computer networks, growing from a single mainframe to over 300 individual computers. He said his wife, Renee, had always wanted to live in Sheridan, so after he retired, they moved to Sheridan in 2014. Renee passed away in 2015.

His path to CHAPS is an unusual one, but touching. After moving to Sheridan, Ragsdale began caring for a granddaughter who would become a client at CHAPS.

“I have an autistic granddaughter,” Ragsdale said. “I am her guardian, and some time ago she quit talking, and the lady in her child development group said to put her on a horse and see what happens.

“We put her on a horse, and she started talking five months later, like she did before she stopped. We didn’t want her to quit talking again, and we wanted her to do more riding because it is something she could do for the rest of her life.”

Ragsdale said he likes doing what he does at CHAPS because he sees the progress veterans, children and adults with disabilities make as they learn to ride.

“It is very rewarding to see how the kids and adults have progressed. I really enjoy what I am doing with the horses.”

About the Award

The Andrus Award is named for AARP Founder Ethel Percy Andrus and is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award. It recognizes individuals who are sharing their experience, talent, and skills to enrich their communities in ways that are consistent with AARP’s purpose, vision, and commitment to volunteer service, and that inspire others to volunteer.

Nominations for the AARP State Andrus Award for Community Service may be submitted by AARP members, volunteers, and chapter or unit members. Nominations also may be submitted by external organizations or groups and by members of the public at large. AARP staff and selection committee members may not submit nominations.