Burlington FREE PRESS STAFF REPORT
Jim Carter of Jericho, a retired teacher and baseball coach, has been giving all his life, never more than because his daughter gave the gift of life.
Andrea Carter, who was 17, died following an automobile accident two decades ago. After Andrea had been on life support for seven days and had been declared brain dead, her family made the difficult decision to remove life-support machines, but not before deciding she would be a multiple-organ donor. Her corneas, heart, kidneys and liver provided life for others.
For years now, Carter has promoted the importance of wearing seat belts and about organ donation options to Vermont students. In a typical school year, he’s made more than 100 presentations about “The Gift That Keeps on Giving.”
Now, for the second time in three years, Carter has been chosen as a finalist for Vermonter of the Year. The Burlington Free Press received numerous nominations for 2010, and a panel of community members chose one Vermonter of the Year — whose name will be revealed in Saturday’s newspaper — and five finalists, including Carter.
Here is a letter of nomination received for Carter:
Devoted teacher, coach, dad
It is with pleasure I nominate James T. Carter of Jericho as the Vermonter of the Year.
A Vermont native, Jim graduated from Windsor High School in 1960. He then entered Boston University on a basketball scholarship and graduated with a history degree. As a very community and country oriented person, Jim and his wife, Susan, joined the Peace Corps in 1965 and were assigned to Malaysia. For the next two years they spent their time aiding villagers building infrastructure in remote areas.
Returning to Vermont in 1967, Jim began a very successful 33-year career as a teacher and coach. Highlights include: teaching government and history classes, coaching the Winooski baseball program to six state championships, and being the force behind forming the Vermont State Baseball Coaches Association and the Vermont/New Hampshire Twin-State Baseball Classic.
In 1991, Jim and Sue lost their 17-year-old daughter Andrea in a tragic car accident. His grief was turned into a driven passion to address both seat belt usage and organ donation. Andrea, a multi organ donor, became the center of Jim’s new career, after retiring from public education in 2000.
Since February 2000 to present, he has voluntarily taught, on average, over 120 sessions per year. Jim has taken his message to approximately 45 Vermont high schools and 40 community groups. His presentation includes process along with both organ donors and recipients. For his efforts, he was named the 2009 Vermont Volunteer of the Year by the Center for Donation &Transplants.
STEVE FERREIRA
Underhill
Andrea Carter, who was 17, died following an automobile accident two decades ago. After Andrea had been on life support for seven days and had been declared brain dead, her family made the difficult decision to remove life-support machines, but not before deciding she would be a multiple-organ donor. Her corneas, heart, kidneys and liver provided life for others.
For years now, Carter has promoted the importance of wearing seat belts and about organ donation options to Vermont students. In a typical school year, he’s made more than 100 presentations about “The Gift That Keeps on Giving.”
Now, for the second time in three years, Carter has been chosen as a finalist for Vermonter of the Year. The Burlington Free Press received numerous nominations for 2010, and a panel of community members chose one Vermonter of the Year — whose name will be revealed in Saturday’s newspaper — and five finalists, including Carter.
Here is a letter of nomination received for Carter:
Devoted teacher, coach, dad
It is with pleasure I nominate James T. Carter of Jericho as the Vermonter of the Year.
A Vermont native, Jim graduated from Windsor High School in 1960. He then entered Boston University on a basketball scholarship and graduated with a history degree. As a very community and country oriented person, Jim and his wife, Susan, joined the Peace Corps in 1965 and were assigned to Malaysia. For the next two years they spent their time aiding villagers building infrastructure in remote areas.
Returning to Vermont in 1967, Jim began a very successful 33-year career as a teacher and coach. Highlights include: teaching government and history classes, coaching the Winooski baseball program to six state championships, and being the force behind forming the Vermont State Baseball Coaches Association and the Vermont/New Hampshire Twin-State Baseball Classic.
In 1991, Jim and Sue lost their 17-year-old daughter Andrea in a tragic car accident. His grief was turned into a driven passion to address both seat belt usage and organ donation. Andrea, a multi organ donor, became the center of Jim’s new career, after retiring from public education in 2000.
Since February 2000 to present, he has voluntarily taught, on average, over 120 sessions per year. Jim has taken his message to approximately 45 Vermont high schools and 40 community groups. His presentation includes process along with both organ donors and recipients. For his efforts, he was named the 2009 Vermont Volunteer of the Year by the Center for Donation &Transplants.
STEVE FERREIRA
Underhill
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