// VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Tillisch was in charge of the official First Stone Ceremony at the Center (below), which included Sandy and Brian Gumness (far leſt) representing the B.A. & Es- ther Greenheck Foundation – major donors to the project. Te official first stone was thrown by George Wolfe (see Curling News Cover), the club's first major donor whose giſt got the ball rolling.
Visionary Volunteer Wausau’s Tillisch is 2013 USCA Volunteer of the Year A May 4, 2013, press release from the United States Curling Association announced that nominations were open for the second annual USCA Volunteer of
the Year Award, developed to recognize and encourage contributions to the sport at the club level. Primary consideration would be given to volunteer work for the home club during 2012-13. All USCA members would be eligible for nomination except current USCA board members and employees. Te application deadline was Friday, June 14, 2013. Te 2012 winner was Doug Brugler of the Rochester (N.Y.) Curling Club.
Story by David Garber, Emeritus Editor,
dj.garber@
tds.net • Photos by Steve O'Keefe
many people enabled the project, but the efforts of one person stood out. He is a successful attorney. He is also a visionary and a spectacular fund
A 10
usacurl.org ))
raiser who was able to lead the efforts of many curlers to bring a major proj- ect to fruition. At the end of the process, his club had doubled its member- ship to 500, plus another 150 kids in high school leagues. His dedication to a cause, combined with his considerable communications and people skills, have earned him the USCA Volunteer of the Year Award for 2013. Excellent communicator, yes, but he can’t be reached by cell phone or by email. You will not find him on social media. How does this man manage
project developed over a decade became a resounding success last fall when the Wausau (Wis.) Curling Club opened its new eight-sheet facility, the Wausau Curling Center. Te efforts of
to be a communicator extraordinaire sans so many modern communica- tion tools? In Cal Tillisch’s case, conversation is a tool and a pleasure, using the
land line phone or speaking face-to-face. Anything less than a 15-min- ute conversation with Cal seems curt, short, brief, fleeting. Tis is a man, his friends will recall, who once seriously injured his knee while speak- ing. Tat’s right, just talking. He was not gesturing, flailing, stomping or even looking around. Over what seemed to be a minute, he gradually tilted and then went down as his knee collapsed. Fortunately, he healed, and in the past 10 years, vocal chords ever pristine, Cal cold-called, followed-up, cajoled, wheedled, informed, pleaded, asked for donations of money and materials, offered ideas, thanked, met with, golfed with, had a beer with,
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