CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia Health System will honor two individuals who make volunteerism and community service a way of life. The Health System will recognize these honorees at a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the Colonnade Club, Pavilion VII on the Lawn. The recipients are Robert Larsen and Chrissie Shirley for their passion for outreach and improving the lives of others. The evening will kick off with a cocktail reception and be followed by the award ceremony starting at 6:30 p.m.
The recipients embody a sense of caring and responsibility for others that connects citizens and solves community problems. They make extraordinary contributions beyond their normal job duties to enhance community life.
Robert Larsen, manager of program development and community relations, is receiving the UVA Health System’s Community Service Award. Over the last six years, he has worked to increase the number of faculty and staff who donate to the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign. Larsen has served as a volunteer firefighter in Albemarle County for nearly 20 years, and he also serves on the board of directors for the Albemarle County Service Authority.
Chrissie Shirley, a pharmacy clinical specialist, is the recipient of the UVA Health System’s Community Builder Award. She spends Tuesday mornings cooking and serving breakfast to the homeless at the Haven, a shelter adjacent to the Downtown Mall. Shirley has also worked as a volunteer pharmacist at the Charlottesville Free Clinic and the Remote Area Medical Clinic at Wise, Va.
