Peg Sanford honored with Saugatuck-Douglas History Center’s top-honor Charles J. Lorenz Award of Achievement for 2024, and Sarah Donovan and Dave Bohn earn SDHC’s Volunteer of the Year recognition.
The Lorenz Award was established in 1997 to honor the memory of Charles “Chuck” Lorenz, who gave generously of his time, talent, money and energy in researching the early history of Saugatuck and Singapore, as well as the formation and development of this organization. Winners are selected each year by a special History Center committee, recognizing distinguished leadership in fulfilling the Center’s mission to “help the community understand its past and use its history to shape its future and preserve its quality of life.”
This year the awards committee recognized former Saugatuck Mayor and community leader Peg Sanford for this honor for her lifelong service to the Saugatuck community and her important contributions to the SDHC’s 2023 HerStory exhibit. Peg and her husband John are charter members of the SDHC, known as the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society at its founding in 1986.
Sanford served as the Library Media Specialist for Saugatuck Public Schools for twenty-three years from 1976-1999. She also served on Saugatuck Village Council and she played a key role in Saugatuck’s incorporation as the City of Saugatuck. She went on to serve as the City’s first woman mayor from 1985-1987. In 2013 Peg was honored as Saugatuck Citizen of the Year.
Sanford served as President of the SDHC and also served on numerous committees including the Heritage Preservation Awards, Family History Group, Heritage Festival and Home Tours, and May Francis Heath project. She also played an important role as an SDHC HerStorian, as she helped curate exhibits on Kit Lane and May Heath as well as the history of the Saugatuck Woman’s Club.
The Volunteer of The Year Award honors outstanding service to History Center and 2024 honorees are Sarah Donovan and Dave Bohn. Donovan was recognized for her consistent service and role as an ambassador to the History Center at the Museum at Mt Baldhead, the Douglas Center, and at dozens of SDHC events throughout the year.
Bohn was honored for his work on the SDHC Garden Committee where he directly contributed time to restore the Back in Time Peach Orchard exhibit. He was also commended for his extraordinary efforts to beautify and care for the two acres of gardens at the History Center in Douglas.
The S-D History Center was founded as the Historical Society in 1986 with seventy Charter members “to discover, procure and preserve whatever may relate to the civil, religious, social, cultural and natural history of Saugatuck, Douglas and surrounding area.” As a volunteer-driven not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization with membership open to all, the Center now exceeds 700 individual, family and corporate members. Activities are funded by contributions from members, friends and grants, and from the proceeds of special events. SDHC also is supported in part by the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) and the National Endowment for the Arts.
