Governor awards Blaylock

Fern Blaylock, a veteran volunteer at Center School, received an award April 25 from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

The award, for outstanding volunteer service, was presented to her at the Governor’s Executive Mansion in Olympia.

Blaylock was nominated for her work through the Colville Tribal Foster Grandparent Program.

“Fern is so kind and gentle she will remind you of all the grandmas in your life rolled into one,” information on the event’s program stated. “She is not only the children's grandma but is everyone's Foster Grandma. … Fern makes a positive difference in the lives of many children!”

Blaylock was nominated by the Foster Grandparents program.

She has volunteered the last several years at Center School and has also volunteered at Lake Roosevelt High School.

The Ninth Annual Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards at the governor’s mansion served as a capstone for Washington Volunteer Appreciation Week and recognized a total of 44 volunteers from across the state who received the 2013 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award. They were nominated by AmeriCorps programs, Citizen Corps Councils, Senior Corps and volunteer centers around the state.

After the presentation, Blaylock attended a Seattle Mariners game and was introduced as a picture of her was flashed on the field’s large screen during a pre-game presentation as the Mariners and the Washington Commission for National and Community Service hosted their fifth annual Salute to Volunteers Night.