VIA honors Margaret Stortz with Citizenship Award
Rehoboth Beach’s foremost women’s organization welcomed a new member to its most prestigious club.
The Village Improvement Association handed its third annual Citizenship Award to Margaret Stortz in recognition of years of community service.
Stortz was modest in her brief acceptance speech. “It somehow seems wrong to accept an award for something that gave me so much pleasure,” she said before joking, “But, I think it’s a great thing.”
Stortz is a former president of the VIA and has been involved in numerous humanitarian causes. Among them are her work with Stockley Center, which helps special needs children; Rehoboth Beach Soup Kitchen, which provides meals for homeless people; and as a volunteer at Rehoboth Beach Public Library and All Saints Thrift Shop.
She has also worked with foreign students, teaching English. Stortz is also a supporter of the West Rehoboth Community Land Trust and of the VIA’s SMILE program, which stuffs bags with items to encourage children to smile after surgery for problems such as lip cleft palates.
Stortz was selected unanimously by the association’s nominating committee. Committee Chairwoman Faith Duncan said Stortz is a very compassionate person who inspires others to help the sick, hungry and lonely.
“Margaret is the embodiment of all the virtues that we as a club strive for,” Duncan said. “I know of no better example of a woman who has made a lasting contribution to her community than Margaret Stortz.”
Previous winners of the VIA Citizenship Award are the late Nancy Martin, for her community activism, and Priscilla Smith for her work with the Friends of the Rehoboth Library.
Sen. Tom Carper sent his congratulations to Stortz. Carper was in Dover for the arrival of planes carrying the bodies of soldiers who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan and could not attend in person, but he asked assistant Karen McGrath to speak on his behalf.
Stortz ended her speech saying, “Thank you for coming out on such a hot time to see an old lady get something she’s not quite sure she deserves.”
Ryan Mavity covers Milton and the court system. He is married to Rachel Swick Mavity and has two kids, Alex and Jane. Ryan started with the Cape Gazette all the way back in February 2007, previously covering the City of Rehoboth Beach. A native of Easton, Md. and graduate of Towson University, Ryan enjoys watching the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals and Baltimore Orioles in his spare time.
