Chamber names service award winners
Rev. Donald P. Wilson
Members of the Patriots Dream Riding Association
Ed and Sandy Zeglen
WAYNESBURG – The Waynesburg Area Chamber of Commerce selected its 2014 Distinguished Service Award recipients.
Chosen for the individual award was the Rev. Donald P. Wilson. The Patriot’s Dream Riding Association was selected as the organization winner, and, this year, a special award will be presented to Ed and Sandy Zeglan of Clarksville.
Wilson, the Patriots Dream Riding Association and the Zeglens will be honored at the chamber’s annual membership meeting and banquet Nov. 22 at Waynesburg University’s Benedum Dining Hall.
The public is welcome and can purchase tickets at the chamber office before Nov. 17. For more information, call 724-627-5926 or info@waynesburgchamber.com.
Each year, local residents are invited to make nominations for the awards, which are based on lasting contributions to community welfare, participation in civic organizations, evidence of leadership ability, success in vocation, personal and/or business progress and cooperation with other individuals and organizations.
The award has no relation to work performed for the chamber.
Even though he claims to be retired, Wilson still assists local churches when in need of a temporary or interim minister, as well as acting as the interim executive presbyter for Washington Presbytery for a period of time in recent years
He served as president of Greene County Historical Society board of directors and he can be found making buckwheat cakes at the Society’s annual pancake breakfast. He also makes buckwheat cakes for Hewitt Presbyterian Church’s annual pancake breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt. He loves the circus and takes great joy in organizing its stop in Greene County each year.
Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1964 from Waynesburg College. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree at Waynesburg, Wilson received his master of divinity degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
In 1992, Waynesburg University awarded Wilson an honorary doctor of humane letters degree for his professional achievements, community service activities and significant leadership and involvement with the university.
With the exception of the past year, Wilson served on the university’s board of trustees since 2000. He also served on the Alumni Council from 1991 to 1999 and also has served as the interim director of Christian Life on campus
From 1967 to 2005, Wilson served as pastor of Lebanon United Presbyterian in West Middlesex. He also served as Protestant chaplain at Northwest Regional Correctional Facility of Mercer, where he developed a drug and alcohol self-help program.
Following his retirement from Lebanon United Presbyterian Church, Wilson served as interim pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Waynesburg for five months and interim pastor at First Baptist Church of Waynesburg for more than three years.
When most people hear the words “biker’s club,” they picture leather jackets, Harley Davidsons and tough-looking people. However, to the Patriot’s Dream Riding Association it’s not about what their members look like or what they ride, it’s about what they can do to help their community.
It’s this mentality that helped them become the 2014 Organizational Distinguished Service Award winner.
Founded in May 2011, PDRA started with 30 men and women who enjoyed motorcycling and helping fellow citizens. They expanded to include more than 40 people who work as stewards in their community and enjoy every second of it.
PDRA is a family-oriented motorcycle riding association. They represent riding, unity, traveling, fun and camaraderie. They believe in total freedom, no dues, no initiation fees and no mandatory meetings. They do not believe in association dictatorship, cliques, power plays or politics.
These relations are not just limited to other biking associations, but extend to the local community. PDRA is extremely involved with the Waynesburg and Greene County communities.
They sponsor concerts and spaghetti dinners to help raise funds for families with children with life-threatening illnesses. They hand out cold water to participants of Relay for Life and help park cars at the annual ’50s Fest and Car Show and Airport Awareness Day.
In 2012, they hosted the Venture’s Motorcycle Club Ride to give motorcyclists from several states a chance to see Greene County and surrounding areas. They also participate in the motorcycle’s run to raise money for the American Cancer Society. To date, they raised a total of $22,171 for the ACS.
“Angels on Wheels” is PDRA’s major activity for the Christmas season. It is a benevolence program where they give to those in need.
“We try to help a family who has come on temporary hard times at Christmas to try to give that family a better Christmas than they may have expected,” PDRA president Tom Ayres explained.
Last year, they helped a family by building a handicap ramp onto their home and helped to purchase gifts the family would have otherwise gone without.
PDRA started an annual scholarship last year to help raise awareness for motorcycle safety. A student seeking the $500 scholarship must write an essay on that topic and have a family member who rides a motorcycle.
“We were all shocked that anyone even noticed the things we were doing. We were also humbled by the fact that it was the business and community leaders that were noticing. We never did or do the things we do to get recognition from anyone, but it is a nice feeling when it does happen,” said Ayres.
For Melody Longstreth, executive director of the chamber, nominating the Zeglens for a special award was not a hard decision.
She said she met the Zelgens at a neighborhood Christmas party in 1997. “I continued to cross paths with Ed at other holiday functions until the time came that we needed a new Santa for the chamber’s Christmas Parade. Ed and Sandy were the first ones that came to my mind. And so a new tradition for the parade was born,” she said.
In August each year, the phone would ring and Longstreth would be greeted by Zeglen’s signature Santa laugh and he would speak to her as Santa for a few minutes before becoming Ed.
“We would talk about plans for the parade, he would confirm us in his appointment book, then he would lapse back into character to tell me goodbye. He never failed to bring a smile to my face for the rest of the day.”
Zeglen insisted that he arrive much earlier than need be each year so that he could mingle and hand out candy canes to the children participating in the parade because otherwise, they would not get to see him. In addition, he would position himself at the corner of High and Richhill streets once the parade started in order to wave at the children who were participating in the parade, just in case he missed them. Then he and Sandy would climb onto the antique fire truck and head down the parade route. But his day was not over. After the parade was finished, he would have two to three more appearances to make. His holiday season was filled with days like this and he never complained. He always was so excited to be participating.
The unique thing about all of this is that Zeglen never asked for payment. His travel expenses for he and his wife, the beautiful costumes and their care, were all out of Ed and Sandy’s pockets. What he did ask was that each group donate an amount that they could handle to either Make a Wish or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
In June of this year Longstreth received a letter from “Santa” announcing his resignation from the parade.
“I knew that his health was becoming an issue for him the past year or so, but I hoped that he would be with us as Santa for several more years. He always gives his performance 110 percent and anything less would not be acceptable for him, so I completely understand his reasoning.