A Golden Acorn Award is presented by a local PTA or council to a school or community volunteer in recognition of their dedication and service to children and youth.
Since the beginning of this program in the 1930s, more than 54,000 Golden Acorn Awards have been presented to volunteers throughout Washington state.
Recipients receive a certificate and pin, and a contribution is made in their name to the Washington State PTA Scholarship Program that benefits students.
Congratulations and eternal thanks to all of our Golden Acorn awardees over the years:
The 50's and 60's, a time of last names only or patriarchial honorifics that identified women by their husband's names. Except for Esther Vaughn, you go girl:
1958 Engman
1959 Johnson
1960 Lappero
1961 Leren
1962 Gaptil
1963 Grapp
1964 Barlow
1965 Esther Vaughn
1966 Mrs. FE Carlson & Mrs. EL Cornings
1967 Mrs. Harry Anderson & Marshall Weiss
1968 Mrs. Alfred Brown
1969 Mrs. Earl Carlson
1970 Mrs. Billie Baxter
The 70's 80's and early 90's. Charlene Oldrish got 2 Acorns!
1971 -
1972 Winnie Koruga & Charlene Oldrish
1973 -
1974 Dorothy Jzyk & Charlene Oldrish
1975 Eve Gough
1976 Sharon Long
1977 Carrole Mabie
1978 Ruth Hunt
1979 David O'Neal
1980 -
1981 -
1982 -
1983 -
1984 Geraldine Brady
1985 Nancy Haugen
1986 Linda Huntley
1987 Moira Ivary & Gunter Geddicks
1988 Jim Croop
1989 Gail Schlick & Lee Miley
1990 Harvey Deutsch (Educator)
1991 Hiroko Hasegawa & Betty Jo Michaelini
1992 Marnie McIntyre & Jane and Robin Hutchensen
1993 Linda and Lou Cutler & Sandra Hixson (Educator)
1994 Wendy and Ref Lindmark & John Swanson
1995 Kathy Cripps
Late 90's and Early Aughts - the era of power couples & multiple awards
1996 Cindy MacIsaac & Carolyn and Steve Bea
1997 Helen Salzwedel & Rene' Routier
1998 Patty and Paul Gotz, Richard Reinhardt, & Vickie Lamb (Educator)
1999 Joyce and Larry Madison, Rosemary and Bob Baines
2000 Steve Brown, Carol Deckelbaum and Stephen Godbe,
Carol and Jonathon Frodge
2001 Beth Monks, Joyce Lucas, Nina and Ed Geiger,
Cathy Butler (Educator)
2002 Michele Paquette, Cheryl Behrens, Mary Clare Thompson
2003 Marty Moberg, BJ Stokey and Roger Westberg,
Maureen Dahlstrom
2004 Mike Lennstrom, Chris Nefcy, Roger Hamlyn (Educator)
2005 Casey Gouveia, Penny and Danny Swanson, Bob Coyne,
Mary Jewet
2006 LB Kregenow, Julie Clark, Dianne and Mark Engelbrekt
2007 Mary Roe Minor, Karen and Steve Dolde
2008 - 2023: the lost years. Awards were given but sadly we have no record of them. Contact the PTA if you know someone who was awarded in this timeframe!
2024 forward: the post-pandemic digital age. We're getting better at documenting, let's keep it up!
2024 Kate Muller & Stacey Nakagawa
2025 Kat Johnson & Remy Nixon (award ceremony slides)
