United Way To Honor Pajk And Taborsak

DANBURY — The United Way of Northern Fairfield County will honor two area residents at its annual awards dinner March 25 at the Amber Room.

Newtown resident Tony Pajk will receive the Peter T. White Volunteer Service Award.

Mr Pajk has been president of Branson Ultrasonics of Danbury since 1998. He joined Emerson Electric, the parent company of Branson Ultrasonics in 1993.

Mr Pajk has been a member of United Way of Northern Fairfield’s Board of Directors since 2000 and served as campaign chairman for 2002-2003 and 2003-2004. Since his arrival at Branson Ultrasonics, the company has evolved from a casual participant in community activities, to being one of the United Way’s top campaign contributors, with employees taking an enthusiastic role in Day of Caring activities, as well as other volunteer endeavors.

Besides his involvement in United Way, he is on the executive committee of the Danbury School and Business Collaborative. Prior to his relocation to Connecticut, Mr Pajk was very active in local United Way campaigns in the greater Cleveland area. He lives in Sandy Hook with his wife Norma, and they have four grown children.

The Peter T. White Award, named for a longtime volunteer, is presented to a community volunteer who best epitomizes the spirit of volunteerism.

Lynn Taborsak, a Danbury resident and former member of the state House of Representatives, will receive the Forrest C. Palmer Community Service Award, given in honor of the retired publisher of The News-Times newspaper and in recognition of his outstanding service to the community. The award is bestowed upon a volunteer who has unselfishly contributed to United Way and made a difference in the region.

Ms Taborsak has been a member of the United Way Board of Directors since 1998. She chaired the former Community Planning Division, the auction at the Danbury Fair Mall and is a consistent volunteer for the annual Day of Caring and the postal workers food drive.

Ms Taborsak has been involved in community service for more than 35 years. She is a past board member of the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury and the Interfaith AIDS Ministry. As a member of the Connecticut General Assembly from 1985 to 1992, she specialized in human service programs.

In addition to her involvement with United Way, Ms Taborsak is an active volunteer for the Dorothy Day Hospitality House, WeCAHR, the Danbury Area League of Women Voters, the Danbury Democratic Town Committee, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Danbury. She earned a BA from Western Connecticut State University and an MA from Antioch College. She has three grown children and lives in Danbury with her husband Bob

The United Way of Northern Fairfield County brings together community leaders, nonprofit agencies, faith organizations, volunteers and businesses to focus on the most pressing needs in the community and provides the resources — human, technical and financial — to attack the root causes of these needs. The five focus areas of the United Way of Northern Fairfield County are: Successful Kids, Increasing Self-Sufficiency, Strengthening Families, Community Wellness and Greater Community Involvement.