POUGHKEEPSIE – Two local families with decades of service in the community have been selected as recipients of Family Services’ 2020 Family of the Year Awards. The Ruge Family, of Ruge Automotive, with locations in Rhinebeck and Millbrook, is being recognized with The Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of their significant impact throughout the Hudson Valley. Don and Jill Veith, of Veith Electric in Poughkeepsie, have been selected for The Good Neighbor Award for their dedicated community work as “unsung” heroes.
The Ruges and Veiths will be celebrated at the Family of the Year Awards on Thursday, April 30, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m., at The Grandview, 176 Rinaldi Boulevard, Poughkeepsie.
For 30 years, Family Services has honored families who make significant contributions and reflect the ideals of Family Services by helping to create stronger communities where everyone has the opportunity to lead their best lives.
“We are delighted to shine a spotlight on the Ruge and Veith Families, both of whom have been so deeply involved in and committed to our Hudson Valley community, while also having demonstrated huge success in their respective professional and business pursuits,” said Family Services’ CEO, Brian Doyle.
This year’s Family of the Year awards dinner will be organized by Chair, Filomena Fanelli, and a dedicated team of community volunteers and agency staff. Major sponsors include iHeart Media, Veith Electric, Marshall and Sterling, and Ruge’s Automotive.
“There are so many good people in this community who are deserving of the Family of the Year award; we’re truly honored to have been selected and express our deepest gratitude to all involved,” said Lewis Ruge, founder of Ruge’s Automotive. “We love living, working, and volunteering in the Hudson Valley. We consider ourselves very fortunate and I enjoy every moment of it all.”
In accepting the Good Neighbor Award, Don Veith, president of Veith Electric said, “Hard work and individual achievement is all well and good, but the community has to rise up. By assisting Family Services, many people have received the necessary help they have needed and it is very gratifying to me to be a part of that.”
The Family of the Year Awards dinner not only recognizes the strong commitment of the honorees, but also raises significant funds to support Family Services’ vital work in Dutchess, Orange and Ulster Counties. To purchase tickets to the event, please visit http://familyservicesny.org/events/2020-family-of-the-year-awards/. For more information about Family Services, or to receive information on Family of the Year sponsorship and advertisement opportunities, please contact Whitney Humphrey, Director of Development, at (845) 452-1110 x3192 or whumphrey@familyservicesny.org.
