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Hayward honors volunteers at Hearts of Hayward ceremony; Jenny DeMartini, Martins Foundation recognized
Summary
City of Hayward officials honored dozens of volunteers at a Hearts of Hayward awards ceremony at City Hall, presenting the John Pappas Humanitarian Award to Jenny DeMartini and the Gail Steel Lifetime Achievement Award to the Donna L. and Edward E. Martins Foundation.
Mayor Mark Salinas and Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Marquez joined city officials at Hayward City Hall to recognize dozens of local volunteers at the annual Hearts of Hayward ceremony. The event celebrated neighborhood leaders, nonprofit contributors and service organizations with brief tributes and awards presented throughout the evening.
The ceremony featured remarks from local leaders and short biographies for each honoree. "This is the people's building," Mayor Salinas said in opening remarks, welcoming attendees and introducing elected officials and staff. Supervisor Elisa Marquez described the event as "our chance to honor all of the amazing volunteers that make Hayward special," and thanked the Hearts of Hayward committee and staff who organized the event.
Among the awards, the John Pappas Humanitarian Award was presented to Jenny DeMartini. A video shown at the ceremony and speakers summarized DeMartini's decades of behind-the-scenes political organizing, voter-registration work and volunteer service. After accepting the honor, DeMartini told the audience she was grateful and said she would "treasure" the award and thanked the committee.
The Gail Steel Lifetime Achievement Award went to the Donna L. and Edward E. Martins Foundation. A tribute video and speakers credited the foundation with longstanding philanthropic support for Hayward institutions, including libraries, Chabot College and local cultural programs. The video said the foundation established a $5 million unrestricted endowment to Chabot College and has funded scholarships, capital projects and a bookmobile in the region.
Alfredo Rodriguez Jr., a small-business owner who helped open the Veterans Memorial Building for a VA Palo Alto outreach program, was recognized for his work connecting veterans to services. Presenters said the program has connected more than 450 veterans and helped over 100 receive medical care through the partnership with the VA and local organizations.
Mayor Salinas presented his Mayor's Volunteer Award to the Hayward Police Department Explorers program, highlighting its mentorship and youth leadership training. "The bench today is multi-ethnic, multilingual, multicultural," Salinas said in praise of the department's efforts to diversify leadership and outreach. The Explorers program was recognized for training and mentoring young people interested in public safety careers.
Council members and supervisors presented multiple additional honors across community categories — arts, education, housing, veterans services, animal welfare and literacy — naming volunteers from neighborhood associations, nonprofit boards and civic organizations. Presenters frequently summarized each volunteer's specific contributions, from organizing events and fundraising to delivering meals and coordinating arts programs.
Organizers asked attendees to remain seated for photos and noted a professional photographer would share images after the event; hosts also invited attendees to a post-event reception in the rotunda. The ceremony was filmed and organizers said it would be posted on YouTube.
The evening closed with a final thanks from officials and an invitation for guests to continue conversations at the reception downstairs.
