Interfaith honors Legacy Champion

Interfaith Community Care honored John Bridgford, a north Phoenix resident, with the first Professional Friends Legacy Champion Award during a luncheon Thursday at Union Hills Country Club in Sun City.

Interfaith's professional friends provide local residents with knowledge that assists them in making informed life decisions and aid them during difficult situations.

Professional friends provide services in financial planning, estate preparation, long-term care, public relations and a variety of other professional services in the community.

The Legacy Champion is an individual who supports Interfaith Community Care by providing his or her services to the community, is an active volunteer in the community, giving back to those he or she serves professionally, and is also a supporter of Interfaith Community Care.

Bridgford became interested in Interfaith when one of his clients told him that he planned to make a substantial stock gift in mid-September 2000. By the next month, Bridgford was a volunteer grocery shopper and later became a business assistance volunteer as well.

He logged 22 hours in the first year and had his highest personal total of 339 hours of volunteer service in 2006.

In 2007, he volunteered more than 275 hours. He became a board member in 2005 and is the board secretary and chairman of the development committee. He has chaired the Harvest Moon Gala since its inception in 2004 and has been a participant in Interfaith's John D. Firestone Memorial Golf Classic for the last two years. He is a donor to the annual and capital campaign funds.

"His outstanding service has made a significant difference to Interfaith Community Care, and we want to recognize him today as a way of thanking him for what he has done for our agency," said Michelle Dionisio, president/CEO of Interfaith Community Care, at Thursday's luncheon.

Also in attendance for the award presentation was Bridgford's wife of 13 years, Callie. The couple has three children, Savanna, 8, Brooke, 5, and Jack, 1.