The Pat on the Back Award
is named to honor Pat Shoemaker and to recognize other
individuals who have given extraordinary, but often
unsung volunteer time in caring for the community.
A “pink lady” volunteer for the Boulder
Community Hospital for 28 years, Pat also produced
monthly original craft displays for the hospital.
Pat was the Boulder Community Hospital Outstanding
Volunteer of the Year in 1983 and was honored as the
Colorado Auxilian of the year in 1984. She was a homemaker
and the mother of two daughters, Linda Shoemaker of
Boulder and Judy Miller of Tucson, Arizona.
Potential nominees should embody Pat’s dedication
and caring. A $1,000 award will be presented to the
honoree to be directed to the nonprofit of his or
her choice.
The 2004 Pat on the
Back Honoree: Ester Quintana-Matheson.
Since first seeing Boulder appear over Davidson Mesa
on Highway 36 in 1970, Ester Quintana-Matheson has
shared her passion, talents, and time as a volunteer
with Boulder County. Ester began her involvement by
using her bi-lingual skills in the Elementary Spanish
Program and then became active in her homeowner’s
association, P.E.O. International, and the local Kiwanis
Club.
In 1998, Ester co-founded the Boulder County Latina
Women’s League to help provide educational opportunities
for Latina girls and women in Boulder County. The
League targets middle and high school girls, gaining
the support of the girls’ parents, in order
to create change and provide opportunities for the
girls to pursue skill-building activities and further
education. Passionate that education is the road out
of poverty for her fellow Hispanics, Ester is drawn
to reaching families early enough to make an impact.
As a professional, Ester also feels she has a responsibility
to mentor young Hispanic women and encourage education
as a way to foster independence.
In her role as a Boulder County Latina Women’s
League Board Member, Ester and her husband, Bob, recently
hosted “Dancing By Moonlight” at their
home. The fundraiser included dancing and a spontaneous
baked goods auction for a crowd of over 160 guests.
When Ester is not busy with Latina Women’s League,
she is very busy elsewhere. She serves as the Social
Action Chairman at Atonement Lutheran Church, is co-chairman
of the University Dinner-Dance Club, reads children’s
books for a bi-lingual Radio Reading Service of the
Rockies show, and for over twelve years Ester has
worked with the Boulder County Share-A-Gift Program.
Ester also has a business degree from CU Boulder and,
before retiring, was on staff at The Mental Health
Center of Boulder County. In addition to volunteering
her time, Ester loves to read, dance, travel, and
garden. Ester and Bob would like their dedication
to education to continue in legacy fashion with their
goal of setting up scholarship funds.
In the spirit of the Pat on the Back Award, Ester
prefers to be behind the scenes and encourages organizations
to be sure they have complementary people working
externally and internally.
“Volunteering is self-fulfillment,” said
Ester. “As a member of society, it is my responsibility
to make the most of what I have to give to others.
It’s important to share. My priorities are to
help young people who will be our future leaders.
We need to educate them.”
