- By Jessica Ryan
- Business & Technology
Print 
 Gary Woloszyn, (2nd from left) Store Manager of the Ithaca Wegmans, poses with his wife Sharon (far left) and two of his three children, Adam and Jessica, after receiving the 25th Annual Agda Osborn Award for Outstanding Community Service at a special ceremony held April 22 in his honor at Taughannock Farms Inn. |
Being an active and involved citizen is a core component of Wegmans philosophy and Woloszyn exemplifies this philosophy with a sense of pride and purpose. Gary, a 26-year Wegmans employee, came to Ithaca in 1993 with his wife Sharon and children to accept the job as Store Manager of the Ithaca Wegmans. Since then, he has volunteered and provided leadership to many area organizations including the United Way of Tompkins County, Tompkins County Public Library, Food Donation Network, The Sciencenter, Hangar Theatre, Paleontogical Research Institution’s Museum of the Earth, Family Reading Partnership, and the Ithaca Festival.
Woloszyn is known at the United Way of Tompkins County as “the man with the red suspenders” which is an honor unto itself. When he served as the Chair of the United Way’s annual county-wide campaign in 1999, he vowed to wear red suspenders until the goal was met. Under Woloszyn's leadership, the United Way raised more than $1.7 million for the first time. Woloszyn has also served on the United Way’s Board for six years, holding the office of Vice Chair in 1998. Because of his involvement and commitment to the United Way, Wegmans is a corporate cornerstone to the annual campaign and a year-in, year-out Pacesetter company that conducts a very successful campaign, generally with levels of participation nearing 100%. Additionally, for many years he has helped with the United Way’s kick-off breakfasts and Day of Caring events.
Woloszyn is one of the Tompkins County Public Library’s staunchest advocates. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2006 and its president in 2005 and 2006. Inspired by his youthful experiences at his hometown public library, Woloszyn worked tirelessly to put the library on solid footing for today’s patrons, and for generations to come. By sharing the lessons he has learned from working in a customer-centered business, he gave the library tools to strive for a level of excellence in patron service. Unfailingly genial and always gracious, Woloszyn made people want to join him in the effort to advance the work of the library. TCPL is better able to serve the community because of his dedication.
Woloszyn's active involvement in the arts and sciences is evident by his strong commitment with two of the area’s beloved museums; he has been an Advisory Board member for both the Sciencenter and the Paleontogical Research Institution’s Museum of the Earth. Among his many contributions to the community, he has played a major role in the development of the Sciencenter by helping, for more than a decade, secure funds for the construction, expansion, and operation of the museum. Most recently, he created a partnership to provide science education to children at Wegmans W-KIDS play center.
Woloszyn has a special commitment to children’s causes too, evident by his involvement with both the Hangar Theatre’s KIDDSTUFF program and the Family Reading Partnership. hiss community service style has allowed the Partnership to showcase “Read to Me” banners, red book shelves, and calendars and he was also instrumental in creating a special reading showcase section at Wegmans to encourage community members to acquire age-appropriate books for their children.
His commitment to the community has helped the Ithaca Festival too. In 1994, the Festival was forced to make a difficult decision to cancel the festival due to lack of funding. The Festival leadership met with Woloszyn, who immediately said Wegmans would do whatever they could to help keep the Ithaca Festival alive. Even more than financial sponsorship, it truly was Woloszyn’s warmth and solid support that gave the Festival Board the confidence to move forward. Wegmans annually sells buttons and t-shirts to benefit the Festival as well as providing continued corporate support.
Woloszyn’s leadership has been instrumental in the operations of the Food Donation Network, an all volunteer food rescue program that provides food to approximately 2, 500 people weekly. He has provided an example and standard to his employees about kindness, compassion, charity, and generosity. He donated precious space on their loading dock to carry out FDN operations which provide food to 28 hunger programs. He provides a warm greeting, a kind word and cooperation. He has never been too busy to listen, to help and to care.
An extremely devoted family man, Gary and wife Sharon, married 30 years, have three children: Jessica, Matthew, and Adam.
In the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey is given a great gift by his guardian angel, Clarence: Clarence shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for his good deeds over the years. The same can be said of Gary Woloszyn who has quietly transformed our community with countless acts of kindness and generosity. Our town would indeed look very different without him!
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