Donna Kuethe to be honored by Every Child in Ours organization

MOULTONBOROUGH — Moultonborough Parks and Recreation Director Donna Kuethe will be honored on Friday, September 19th at 6pm at Hart's Turkey Farm in Meredith by the national organization Every Child Is Ours (ECIO) as the New England Women of the Year.

Kuethe will be honored for her significant contributions to the national organization Every Child Is Ours and her 40-years of service to international, national, state, and local municipal/community recreation.

Every Child is Ours was created in 1997 to complement President Clinton's "America Reads" initiative. The mission is to promote educational opportunities through fostering relationships by working as an outreach program that matches up local resources with children in need. While Every Child Is Ours is well known for its work in South Dakota and Northeast Arkansas, it is also an international organization by partnering with schools in Acuña, Mexico and Kanana, South Africa. It provides services through collecting and distributing basic educational tools and supplies such as pens, paper, books, recreation supplies, and ensuring that children have proper food to fulfill their nutritional needs.

Kuethe has demonstrated her passion by serving on the ECIO board of directors, filling containers with supplies to be shipped to sites in need and even volunteering in Kanana, South Aftica and New Orleans. Donna is certified in FEMA Disaster Command, Save the Children: Child Friendly Spaces, and American Red Cross Disaster Relief/Shelter Operations. She also serves on the New England National Parks and Recreation Council as the committee chair of Operation Recreation Relief, a task force that provides recreation services to areas affected by national disasters. Nationally, she is working with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) on Save the Children, Green-Play Code Red, and Foundation for Sustainable Parks and Recreation on Disaster Relief and Emergency Preparedness Project.

While she has had an significant impact on the international and national forum, she is proactive in the state of NH with the Children in Nature Initiative, NH State Parks Great Park Pursuit, NH HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living), CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Children's Health), the Governor's Commission of Disabilities: ADA Recreation for All, Adaptive Skiing, and the NH Hershey Track and Field program. She has served on the House/Senate Committee on Child Care Licensing and as Chair of the Legislative Committee for New Hampshire Parks and Recreation, regularly monitoring, testifying for and advocating on behalf of legislative issues affecting Parks and Recreation at the state and national level.

Locally, Ms. Kuethe has been fundamental in the establishment and foundation of the parks and recreation in Moultonborough. Her distinct contributions include the Moultonborough Pathway, rehabilitation of the Moultonborough Youth Soccer field, a community before school (CATCH) and after school drop in program, youth sports and day summer camp, senior programs, community trips and local events such as Summer Concert series, Town Block Party, Edith Tennis Tournament, Pathway Road Race, Winter Bingo and environmental rehabilitation of lakefront. Her caring and visionary character has paved the way for innovation and implementation that has positively affected diverse populations across generations. The quality and value of her contributions will leave a long term legacy and positive impact on the community.