2023 Winners
The 11th annual Beacon Awards was held on Oct. 10, 2023 and honored 15 members of the shoreline community.
Todd Steward
Todd Steward loves giving back to his community. Known as the owner of Steward’s Hardware, Todd has been a member of the Old Saybrook Fire Department for nearly 20 years and serves as the Captain of Training for the department. At Steward’s Hardware, Todd runs the Round-Up Change program to benefit local non-profit organizations. At the Shoreline Garden Center, Todd grows and donates a major part of all the vegetables grown to local food pantries.
Samantha Parlato
Samantha Parlato enjoys working with organizations that benefit her community. Helping children and families is paramount for Samantha, and the list of organizations she volunteers for proves it. Samantha is a longtime member of the East Haven Chamber of Commerce and Clean Up East Haven. She’s also volunteered with the East Haven Police Athletic League, the East Haven Fall Committee, the East Haven Food Pantry, the Shore Line Trolley Museum, and Broadway of Main. Samantha can always be found helping organizations that help the community.
Olando Petgrave
Olando Petgrave enjoys using his time to and efforts to fundraise to better his community. A member of the Madison Rotary Club, Olando has gained a reputation for hosting a book club to educate business owners and would-be business owners. Olando also is an active volunteer for the Connecticut Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and enjoys running the annual New York City Marathon to fundraise for it.
Melanie DiNicola
Melanie DiNicola has made a volunteer career of turning lemonades into lemonade. A 20-year volunteer and employee with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Melanie says she tries to volunteer and donate whenever and wherever she can. She sits on the board of the Ethan Miller Song Foundation and is a volunteer for the Honor Connor Foundation. According to Melanie, people are the best part of giving back.
Mary Didiuk
Mary Didiuk has a reputation for always being there when needed. The brains behind Traveling Toys, Mary co-founded the organization in 2019 to provide local libraries with high-quality, age-appropriate toys for children and teenagers. Traveling Toys has established seven toy libraries across the state. When she’s not advocating for a child’s right to play, Mary volunteers to help make children and teenagers’ experience on the shoreline better.
Laura Colebank
Laura Colebank was inspired by her grandfather’s compassion and generosity, quietly serving her community behind the scenes. She aims to inspire others to use their time and talents to help non-profits and, as a board member of the Community Foundation of Middlesex County and Study Hall Inc., Laura continues to contribute in as many ways as she can. She volunteers for the Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries and Clinton Human Services and has served as a past board member of the Clinton PTA. Laura says getting involved with other dedicated, passionate people is fulfilling.
Joe Carapella
Joe Carapella enjoys working with people. He says seeing others’ passion to serve is one of his favorite things about making a difference in the community. Joe is a member of Clinton Human Services, the Clinton Lions Club, and NAMI Shoreline and has become a critical piece of Clinton Human Services’ suicide prevention efforts. His commitment to making a difference has helped the lives of those in his community.
Frances Swietlicki
Frances Swietlicki takes joy in watching people discover the history of his Guilford. A member of the Guilford Green Committee and the Guilford Keeping Society (GKS), Frances enjoys fundraising to restore pieces of the town’s history. Frances has spearheaded a number of GKS fundraisers, including anniversary events, and has served her community by keeping its history alive.
Elise Low
Elise Low is passionate about educating her neighbors about voting. A longtime mainstay of the League of Women Voters of the East Shore, Elise works to help register residents to vote and provides voter education. As a moderator at debates and a program moderator, Elise works to bring local elections to a wider audience.
Diane Beckwith Popolizio
Diane Beckwith Popolizio says one small act of kindness can change a life. As the founder of Helping the Homeless, Diane has teamed up with local organizations to serve those in and near her community, collecting and delivering needed goods to area shelters and food banks. Outside of her hometown, Diane has worked to support Turkey and Ukraine, helped bring clean water to areas in need, and organized litter clean-ups in her neighborhood.
Dawn Perrotti
Dawn Perrotti says volunteering allows her to use her skills and time to impact her community in a positive way. A member of the Community Dining Room’s Fundraising Advisory Committee, Dawn has volunteered for the Legacy Theatre, served on the Board of Education, and worked with community sports and school programs. Dawn believes in doing good work in her community and has well-served her neighbors.
Daniel Montgomery
Daniel Montgomery says that serving his community and seeing the positive lifelong impact of a volunteer can’t be overstated. Daniel fills his time volunteering for a number of local organizations and sits on the board of directors for the Ethan Miller Song Foundation and KidsforKids, Dancing for Life. For Daniel, developing relationships and working with families and children in need are some of the best parts of helping his community.
Ashley Phan
For Ashley Phan, it’s all about connections. As president and co-founder of We Are One Inc., an anti-human trafficking non-profit, Ashley says her favorite thing is connecting trafficking survivors and at-risk youth with resources. Ashley is a board member of the United Nations Association, and she does fundraising work to build connections and Branford and Guilford.
Anthony Carrano
Anthony Cono Carrano has found a number of ways to make a positive impact in his community. After a career teaching Valley Regional High School students the secrets of math, Anthony continues to find ways to help his neighbors in retirement. As the head of the Ancient Order of Weeders in Essex, he can frequently be found helping beautify the traffic islands on Route 154. When he’s not driving for Friends in Service Here (FISH), Anthony performs with Con Brio and Capella Cantorum and is a member of the Hilltop Four Barbershop Quartet and the Community Music School’s New Horizons Band. Anthony is dedicated to being a positive force in his community.
Ann Murray
Ann Murray is always willing to lend a helping hand to her neighbors. A member of the East Haven Fire Department Volunteer Company One, Ann has served her local firefighters association for 30 years. She’s a past recipient of the East Haven Merit Award and sits on the committee for future awardees. Ann continues to work to make an impact for all of her neighbors.
