Instead, two were awarded on Thursday night.

That process was made easier by candidates that are well and truly deserving – Gary and Penny Lester as well as Ash Khare.

“Gary and Penny are not comfortable being in the spotlight,” Rev. Jeff Ewing, who introduced the Lesters, explained. “Tonight, you two are to be publicly acknowledged. We as a community often need to be reminded what it looks like to love and serve others.”

He called them “backstagers…. That’s who Gary and Penny are. Backstagers who won’t seek the limelight (and are) content doing their part for the betterment of the folks who live and work in Warren County. Trust me, you have no idea what they do in total. No one except Gary and Penny know that and that’s the way they like it,” calling them the county’s “finest ambassadors.”

Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Gary and Penny Lester - recipients of the WCCBI’s Community Service Award - speak during the Celebration of Excellence Gala Thursday night.

“(You) don’t do good works to get recognition, or curry favor with God,” Gary said. “You do good works to the blessings you have been given. The next question – what are the blessings? This community. It is a blessing to be here in this place.”

Penny said she has come to appreciate the idea of “leadership from the back of the bus…. We like being at the back of the bus. Sometimes because there are really interesting people back there. Also because we don’t need the limelight. We just need to be there to help move things along.”

She said they are the beneficiaries of the volunteering they do. “We end up with incredible friendships,” she said, “an incredible knowledge and interest and passion for things we might never have known about otherwise. That is one of the joys of giving back to your community.”

“Our mission for everybody in the room should be to continue to create this atmosphere in this community where all these things can happen,” Gary said.

“This is an incredible county,” Penny added. “We thank you for this award and we accept it on behalf of all those that are doing good things.”

Khare brought in some big guns to introduce him — former Pa. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Congressman Glenn Thompson

Ash Khare had some firepower brought into introduce him – former President Pro Tempore of the Pa. Senate Joe Scarnati and current Congressman Glenn Thompson.

Scarnati roasted Ash a bit but also credited his tenacity and accomplishments.

“You cannot say no to this man,” he said. “Even if he ticks you off you cannot say no to ash Khare. Uou persevere like nobody else. Ash Khare has lived the American dream. Ash Khare did more than succeed, he’s overachieved. The american dream is alive because of people like you Ash.”

Thompson congratulated all of the businesses and agencies recognized during the Gala. With votes on tap in Washington, he said it was “not worth the grief of saying no” to Ash about making the trip “because I love him. He’s a good friend and he does such a great job.

“I’m proud to call him friend.”

Khare brought in some big guns to introduce him — former Pa. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Congressman Glenn Thompson

“Honestly, I’m nervous,” Khare said. “I’ve never been nervous before. I am today.”

“When I came to America, I had to study the culture from the outside in,” he explained. He came to Warren County in 1974. That involved community service from the outset, and political involvement as soon as he became a citizen in 1981.

“My heroes that received the previous awards, excluding present company, were Leroy Schneck and Bernie Wingert,” he said. “They were kind, generous, professional, caring and always ready to help. Now that is Warren to me, as I see it.

Ash highlighted projects he has helped facilitate funding for including War Memorial Field and the PNC Bank building downtown.

“Talking about projects — it is very simple — it is all about building relationships,” he said. “There were other projects… What do I get out of all this? There was a Philadelphia philanthropist that used to say: It is never a perfect day until you do something for somebody knowing fully well that they can never repay you back.

“So,” he added, “whenever I am having a bad day, I get in my car and drive around War Memorial Field, YMCA, Struthers Library Theatre and start feeling great again.

“On behalf of me and my family, we are grateful for the opportunity to serve,” he said. “May God continue to bless Warren, its citizens and the leaders.