Each year Cupertino’s CREST Awards (Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken) honor residents and businesses that have gone the extra mile to help improve the city. This year’s winners include parents who recognized their son’s dream of an inclusive playground, a group of seventh-graders who designed a free automated sports equipment checkout system at Memorial Park and a woman who has been active in the Cupertino community for 56 years.
Lifetime Achievement
Roberta Hollimon
In their nomination letter Elaine Manley and Tracey Edwards, co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Cupertino-Sunnyvale, pointed to Hollimon’s 56-year history of community service, which encompasses education, the arts and 40 years of involvement with her local LVW chapter.
“We nominate Roberta Hollimon not just for the length of service to the community or the breadth of her activities but because of the sustained leadership and resulting impact of her volunteerism,” reads the letter.
Holliman’s volunteer efforts began in 1964 when she joined the Cupertino Union School District’s PTA. From 1969-73, she offered her services as a music teacher to first- through third-graders at Regnart Elementary School. She was a member of the Monta Vista High School Music Boosters from 1973‐79.
More recently, Holliman has been a member of the bond oversight committees for both the CUSD and the Fremont Union High School District. For the city, she was a fine arts commissioner from 1991‐97 and served on two General Plan committees.
Holliman joined the LVW in 1973 and has held numerous positions and spearheaded various projects for the league over the years.
“Roberta was the founder for Voter’s Edge (formerly SmartVoter), a website designed to provide factual information about candidates,” reads her nomination letter. “This new website started in 1996 and is considered the gold standard in honest and unbiased election information.”
Lifetime Achievement
Susan Kwok
This posthumous honor marks the second time Kwok has received a CREST Award.
“More than 10 years later, she continues using her public health and nursing background to help those in need in Cupertino,” her daughter wrote in her nomination letter.
Kwok volunteered with a variety of organizations including the Memory Clinic, Kaiser Hospital, Cupertino retirement homes, the American Cancer Society, Self Help for the Elderly and Asian Americans for Community Involvement. Through St. Joseph of Cupertino Church, she served on the Lunar New Year Celebration planning committee for 17 years.
Kwok’s ability to speak Cantonese, Mandarin and Spanish as well as English was an important aspect of her work.
“Susan has provided important public health education and assistance to Cupertino residents, especially new immigrants, by advising them on their individual health issues,” reads her nomination letter.
Volunteer of the Year
Ankit Lakkapragada
For his Eagle Scout project, Lakkapragada founded “Education Everywhere,” which collects lightly used school supplies for reuse or recycling. In 2018 his organization donated about $5,000 worth of supplies to 10 campuses in Cupertino; in 2019 these numbers grew to $15,000 in supplies to 30 schools in Cupertino, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Los Altos.
Rising Star
Lackshminaryanan Family
Bharat and Ramya Lakshminarayanan made the nomination in memory of their son Achyuth Bharathwaj, who died in 2018 of a rare genetic skin disorder.
“At the time, he was in third grade at Sedgwick Elementary School,” reads their nomination letter. “He dreamt of building an inclusive playground that others like him could enjoy.”
Achyuth’s parents raised $60,000 to begin the project at Sedgwick, and the playground design company donated an additional $50,000 to complete the project. The inclusive playground was set be dedicated in memory of Achyuth on March 6.
“The family hopes to continue to expand such playgrounds across the city of Cupertino in memory of their son, Achyuth,” his parents wrote in their letter.
Public Safety Champion
Judy Halchin
As assistant emergency coordinator of Cupertino Amateur Radio Emergency Service, or CARES, Halchin has led drills, training exercises and public event support for about five years. The public event support includes Cupertino’s 5K races and July 4 fireworks.
“Judy’s leadership and organization at public events added a layer of safety with CARES members positioned around the venues to spot for safety issues,” reads her nomination letter. “CARES has been dubbed by city leaders and by the Sheriff’s Office as their eyes and ears in the field.”
As the training lead for CARES, Halchin guides new members through the training they needed to qualify as a field responder. This ensures that all volunteer members use the same processes and radio communication protocol.
Outside of Cupertino, Halchin worked for two weeks at a Red Cross shelter in Chico for refugees of the Paradise fire. She was handling radio communications in the command post at the 2018 Gilroy Garlic Festival when the shootings occurred.
Sustainability Champion
Silicon Valley Clean Energy
In 2016, 12 cities including Cupertino, formed Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), a community choice energy joint powers authority, to bulk-purchase clean electricity. Co-founded by City Councilman Rod Sinks, SVCE now serves 96 percent of Cupertino’s residential and commercial customers.
According to the nomination letter, 22,600 Cupertino households and businesses received clean electricity from carbon-free sources in 2019, resulting in $1,638,000 in electricity savings and $52,800 cash payments to customers for generating surplus solar energy. All of the city’s municipal electricity accounts are now sourced from renewable wind and solar energy sources, and electric utility-related emissions have been reduced by 98 percent, equivalent to 29 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
Innovator of the Year
Aaron, Jason, Naoka, Nathan and Ryan
These Cupertino seventh-graders researched and developed PALS, or Park Activities Locker System, a free automated sports equipment checkout system at Memorial Park.
“Memorial Park’s dried-up artificial ponds dominate the park but have been empty since the last drought,” reads their nomination letter. “Instead of filling them up or replacing them, the children drafted a space utilization plan including concrete ping-pong tables, game areas, a pickle ball court, an advanced play structure and a reading library.”
The young quintet devised PALS after meeting with myriad city and school officials. Their design takes into account materials, power supply, placement and content.
“PALS will encourage spontaneous park visitation and allow people to try new activities,” reads the letter. “PALS can improve parks everywhere.”
For more information on the winners, visit www.cupertino.org/crest.
