Philanthropic pair to be honored by college for community support.

Since relocating to the Santa Clarita Valley in 2001, Harold and Jacqulyn Petersen have developed a reputation around town as a couple known for the enthusiasm, dedication and generosity they display toward many of the community’s most benevolent non-profit organizations and causes. As a result, the College of the Canyons Foundation Board of Directors has named the Petersens recipients of the college’s “Silver Spur” Community Service Award for 2009.

 
The Petersens’ distinguished record of community service spans over the couple’s nearly 60 years of marriage and time spent in Brentwood; Omaha, Nebraska; Pottawattamie County, Iowa and finally here at home in Santa Clarita.
 
Harold, the president of his own insurance company, Petersen International Underwriters,

has maintained an active role in his community throughout the years. Locally he is a supporter of the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita, the Santa Clarita Child and Family Center, the UCLA Alumni Association and the Mary and Joseph League of Los Angeles.
 
In addition to her involvement with Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita and the Santa Clarita Child and Family Center alongside Harold, Jacquie has given her time and generosity for causes associated with the American Red Cross, the John Tracey Clinic, which provides free medical services for children with hearing loss, the Junior League, the American Heart Fund and the American Cancer Society. She has also served as president of the Mary and Joseph League, and as a volunteer with the Catholic Church.

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Most recently the couple was honored for their work in the community at the Valentine’s Day Have a Heart Sweethearts event benefiting the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation’s ongoing work in funding the Roberta G. Veloz Cardiac Catheter Lab.
 
However since 2001 the couple’s generous and wide-ranging support for College of the Canyons has revolved around several key projects at the college, including the Dianne G. Van Hook University Center capital campaign and the annual Silver Spur celebration.
 
In addition, Harold and Jacquie are both members of the President’s Circle, a group of prominent community leaders, alumni members and corporations that are dedicated to the success of the college, and major contributors to the COC Annual Fund — which provides the college with the financial resources needed to support and strive for the highest levels of excellence in teaching, vocational training, student scholarships and overall campus innovation.
 
“We consider ourselves lucky at College of the Canyons to count the Petersens among our closest friends and strongest supporters,” said COC Chancellor-President Dr. Dianne Van Hook. “We owe them an immeasurable debt of gratitude for all they have done for the college and its students over the years.”
 
Honoring them with the Silver Spur award is our way of thanking them publicly for their generosity, their kindness, and their commitment to community service,” continued Van Hook. “Thanks to Harold and Jacquie, all of us in Santa Clarita enjoy a community that wouldn’t be the same without them.”
 
The annual College of the Canyons Silver Spur Celebration is traditionally held at a historic museum, club or well-known Los Angeles landmark each spring — and is considered to be one of the community’s most popular and elegant evening events.
 
The very first COC Silver Spur Celebration gala was held at the Gene Autry Museum in 1989, with Cliffie Stone as the recipient. The Foundation Board of Directors at the time wanted to create a signature event for the COC Foundation and also to reflect the western heritage of the Santa Clarita Valley.
 
The Silver Spur Award committee is co-chaired by Gary and Myrna Condie and Jeff and Kiki Hacker. Previous recipients of the award include Aggie Agajanian, Scott and Ruth Newhall, Tom Dierkman, John Hoskinson, Robert Ormsby, Dick Luechtefeld, Roberta Veloz, Michael Berger, Lou Garasi, Tom Lee, Jay and Joyce Rodgers, Gary Cusumano, Charlotte and Frank Kleeman, Tom Veloz, Rita Garasi, and Wayne Crawford.
 
For more information about how businesses and individuals can participate in the 2009 Silver Spur celebration, please contact the College of the Canyons Foundation at (661) 362-3434, or visit the Foundation’s Website at: www.canyons.edu/Foundation