Rutkowski and Hot Air Balloon Classic honored for their service to Windsor

Community Services Awards program honors contributions through Parks and Rec department

On Feb. 9 the Town of Windsor Parks and Recreation Department participated in the annual Community Services Awards program sponsored by the California Park and Recreation Society, district 1.

District 1 represents parks and recreation agencies located throughout the counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, Solano and Trinity.

At the Community Service Awards and Installation Banquet on Feb. 9, community volunteer Dennis “Rudy” Rutkowski and the Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic received awards for their significant contributions made to the Windsor community.

Community Service Award recipients are nominated by agencies and are recognized for making an outstanding contribution by serving, volunteering, or donating to assist in “Creating Community through People, Parks and Programs.”

Representing the Town of Windsor at the banquet were Councilmembers Esther Lemus and Sam Salmon, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Meredith Rennie, Parks and Recreation Director Donna Legge, Town Clerk Maria De La O, Recreation Supervisors Hilary Dunn and Erin Stroud, Recreation Coordinator Ashley Sylvester and Senior Administrative Assistant Amanda Gray.

In addition, to the awards, Hilary Dunn was installed as President to the District 1 Board.  

Dennis “Rudy” Rutkowski

In the narrative read about him, Rutkowski is described as a lifetime resident of Windsor who has worked as a firefighter-engineer for the Central Marin Fire Department for the last 19 years.

“When asked, he humbly replies that he wants to ‘fill a need’ and ‘help make things better.’ As part of the Fire Department, Rudy participates, initiates and leads a variety of charity work including fundraising and events that support a “Things for Teens” toy drive, a school wish list, a free and reduced lunch program, people in need, foster care and adopt-a-family programs, to name a few,” said the narrative.

Rutkowski was also described as “a stealth volunteer, someone who flies under the radar, expecting nothing in return but making a difference and improving the quality of everyone’s experience.”

Among his many volunteering contributions, he has been a volunteer firefighter for Windsor for 12 years, has volunteered on the Old Downtown Windsor Merchants Association, serving as President for two terms; Relay for Life; WE Foundation Scarecrow Exhibit and Harvest Festival; and recently assisted with hanging lights for the Day of the Dead event. He has monitored the lights on the Windsor Visitor Center building, hung banners and set up and broke down tables and chairs at events for the Chamber of Commerce and Merchants Association.

He is also the founder of the Windsor St. Baldricks event, and the organizer for the last eight years raising funds for lifesaving childhood cancer research. In 2018, Rudy was named Duke of the Windsor Day Parade for his heroism in volunteerism. 

Rutkowski has also spent tireless hours supporting Windsor’s signature holiday attraction on the Windsor Town Green, the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove, which showcases 200 live four-foot Christmas trees that are individually decorated with themes and sponsored by families, businesses, classrooms, schools and nonprofits.

Since its inception in 2008, Rudy has served as the "Grove Keeper and Engineer" each year between Thanksgiving and a week after New Year’s. He sets up the wine barrels and tree stands; installs and bolts each tree; tapes the electric cords used to light each tree; and waters each tree throughout the display. Since 2016, Rudy has set up the Snoopy doghouse and snow machines and refills them regularly with the required liquid snow.

Hot Air Balloon Classic

According the narrative, the Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic was founded in 1987 and was produced by the Windsor Rotary Club for nine years. After taking a year off due to the loss of the event site, a new Windsor Balloon Classic Committee was formed in 1998 that included other local nonprofits such as the Windsor Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Windsor.

The Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic was formed as a nonprofit in September 1999 when it secured a new site that spanned Windsor High School and Keiser Park. After various renditions, the ideal format for the Balloon Classic was established in 2001, including a colorful showcase of glowing balloons prior to sunrise, known as the “Dawn Patrol.”

The narrative states that record crowds were witnessed in 2015 and 2016 with the introduction of social media advertising and online ticket sales. As the only Hot Air Balloon event in the Bay Area, visitors from as far as Sacramento and San Jose are attracted to Windsor, joining park neighbors and Windsor residents to enjoy the splendor of balloons being launched.

According to the narrative, the Balloon Classic is “a signature event in Sonoma County and Northern California. It brings recognition and notoriety to the Town of Windsor and provides an opportunity to promote the town and support the local economy. Other nonprofit and service organizations such as the Windsor Lion's Club, Boy Scouts and Windsor High School Boosters benefit from fundraising opportunities. In addition, 50 percent of the Balloon Classic net proceeds go back into the community by supporting other local non-profits. A new business partner now includes the Redwood Empire Food Bank.”