The southwest New Mexico nonprofit community recognizes those who go above and beyond this week with a Volunteer of the Year awards party at The Commons on Saturday, April 13, from 2-4 p.m.

Jon Saari was named the Tour of the Gila/Gila Community and Tourism Development Volunteer of the Year.

The local State Farm agent has taken time off his work to volunteer with Tour of the Gila over the past few years, and his wife Michelle’s business, Copies on the Run, also contributes to help both the race and the Gila Monster Gran Fondo succeed. In 2023, for example, Jon personally volunteered as team staff and supplied housing for a women’s team.

But they set out to offer additional support to a woman’s race team and committed to bringing a composite team to Tour of the Gila 2024. He has worked since this time last year to ensure more opportunities for women cyclists. For 2024, Jon is the major contributing donor to the Steve Tilford Foundation so that the PAS/Steve Tilford Foundation Racing women’s composite team can compete in Silver City at the end of the month. And, once again, Jon will volunteer himself out as a selfless team staff member running errands and providing key support during the race.

“Jon has gone far beyond to support and encourage opportunities for women at the Tour of the Gila,” says Co-Director Michael Engleman, whose background is in creating opportunities for female athletes.

The team Jon supports this year is run by two-time cyclocross Pan American Champion Raylyn Nuss. The composite team features veteran racers like Caroline Mani of France, who specializes in cyclocross, and includes wildcards like Cécile Lejeune, who earned the Best Amateur on the first day of Redlands Classic Bicycle Race just two weeks before Tour of the Gila 2024 was slated to start.

Jon is instrumental in getting these riders and their director sportif, 2008 UCI Women’s Road World Cup winner Katheryn Curi, to Silver City for the only UCI stage race in North America this season.

The Tour of the Gila 2024 Volunteer of the Year joins awardees:
-Susan Beck, Western Institute of Lifelong Learning
-Victoria Reece, PFLAG Silver City
-Paula Makara, Kathleen Wigley, Don Pryor, Steve White and Gale Sera, The Commons
-Caroline Baldwin, Thelma Sordyl, Myron Weckworth, Kristina Kenegos and
-Don Musser, Literacy Link Leamos
-Heather Frankland and Catalina Claussen, Southwest Word Fiesta
-Bea McKinney, Silver City Museum Society
-Loren Poole, GRIP
-Deborah Van Buren, Lotus Center
-Ed Valentine, Karen Valentine and Chase Sturdevant, Healthy Kids Healthy Communities
-Stephen Lindsey, Future Forge