2024 Achievement Award Winners, Around the World Hikers, and New 25 Year Members

This years Achievement Awards and new 25 year members were announced at the Winter Banquet on January 11, 2025, the first time in many years that the banquet was rescheduled to January. The banquet was a major success, attracting over 130 members and guests in spite of a heavy snowfall. Here is a photo of part of the attendees.

This is a photo of the Club singers singing the Club song, kicking off the program after the meal. After a great meal we began the Award Ceremony, recognizing 43 different individuals who won a total of 53 Achievement awards. This year's winners each received a gray baseball cap sporting the Club logo and "2024 Achievement Award" stenciled on the back. Here is a photo of the award hat being held by Martha Rivera-June, one of this year's winners. This year we also introduced a new recognition award for members who had walked far enough on Club hikes to circle the earth. We also gave a special award to Glee Crowder for leading the most hikes all time. To cap off the awards we recognized 6 new 25 year members who each received an engraved paperweight.

Following is a list of the 10 Achievement Awards and who won them. Here is a photo of all of the winners who attended the banquet after the awards were announced.

Millennium Award

This award is given to all members who hiked 1,000 or more miles during the Club year. This year there were 22 winners of this award. Here is a photo of Pathfinder Ed Wright announcing the 1,000 mile award winners. 
Allan Roberts - Once again this year Allan hiked the most miles with 2852.  Allan is also closing in fast on 
Glee Crowder's all time mileage record with 52,550 miles.

Cheryl and Dewey Conces  - They were tied for 2nd place with 2,789 miles, only 63 miles behind Allan.

Mike Lindstedt - Comes in at 4th place with 2,250, the only other member to hike over 2,000 miles last year.  

Here is a list of the others who hiked over 1,000 miles last year.
Rick Kinnaman
Cherie Voege
Rick Wortman
Kay Ramey
David Kincaid
Katy Smith
Phil Smith
Tish Brafford
Mary Barbara Miller
Deleram Moghaddam          Her first achievement award
Rick Braun
Marian Fahy                Also, her first achievement award
Mary Bruss
Ron Elkins
Theresa Ray
Patrick Eaton
Mike Seeman
Christine Nitz            45 year member, the longest tenured member with over 1,000 miles

Marathon Award

This award is given to all members who complete the longest scheduled hike during the year. This year we had two winners who both finished the same hike of 31 miles (50K) on the Vandalia Trail. 
Theresa Ray
Jan Adams               This is Jan's first achievement award
Theresa has made it known that she intends to tie the Club's all time distance record of 100K (62 miles) in May 2025, which by the way she has already done 4 times. She is looking for other members to join her.

Milestone Award

This award is given to any member who has attained more than 10,000 lifetime miles with the Club. This year we had two winners of this prestegious award:
Marti Burton
Don Hayes

Around the World Recognition

The board felt it appropriate to recognize hikers who have walked far enough on Club hikes to circle the earth which is 24,901 miles. Several of our members have actually circled the earth more than once. Debbie Bucholz announced the active members who will receive recogniton in the form of a new globe sticker that will attach to their current mileage badge. The following ten active members were recognized for circling the earth. 
Glee Crowder      circled the earth twice
Allan Roberts     circled the earth twice
Rick Kinnaman
Jill McFall
Cherie Voege
David Kincaid
Tish Brafford
Michele Kestle 
Mary Lester
Ed Wright
That's it for our hiker awards and now for our Hike Leader awards:

Pathfinder Award

This award is given to any member who leads 50 or more hikes during the year. This year we had 11 winners. 
Ed Wright        - led the most hikes with 134
Rick Kinnaman    - also led over 100 hikes
David Kincaid    - also led over 100 hikes
Rick Braun
Janet Cohen
Glee Crowder
Jo Anne Starzyk
Marti Burton
Harold Crooks
Rick Wortman
Allen Roberts

Trail Blazer Award

The Trail Blazer Award is given to any member who led 15 or more different hikes during the past year. Everyone enjoys a new hike and this is one of the more challenging awards to win (other than the longest hike that is). This year we have 6 winners of this award. 
Karen LeClerc
Pat Lawler
June Sergi
Ed Wright
Edeltraud Evans
Terry Roesch

Trail Maintenance Award

Dave Drzewiecki, our Conservation officer, presented this award which is given to any member who has contributed 16 or more volunteer hours on a trail maintenance project, although most of this year's winners go far beyond that, sometimes volunteering 100 or more hours of their time to give something back to the trails we all love to hike, mostly in Eagle Creek Park. This is a photo of Gary Fine one of the winners of the Trail Maintanence award. Here are the eight winners:
Russ Himes
Ned Lewis
Frank Povinelli
Scott Beam
Gary Fine
Phil Coons
Karen LeClerc
Patrick Eaton

Club Service Award

This award is given by the Board of Directors to any member the board feels deserves special recognition for their service to the Club. This year our President, Debbie Bucholz, announced this year's winner Kathy Whalen.This is a photo of President Debbie Bucholz presenting the Club Service Award to Kathy. Kathy served as our Club Treasurer since October 2013 - 11 years - and did a masterful job managing our Club finances. Kathy continues her service to the Club by remaining on the board as a Director at Large.

Indyhike.org Award

This award is given to the individual responsible for submitting the most photos on the Club website and Facebook Page. Phil Coons, developer of our Club's Facebook page, announced this year's winner Martha Rivera-June. This was Martha's first ever award and in only her second year as a member.

Pinnacle Award

Sorry to say there was no winner of the Bill and Nell Larrison Pinnacle Award again this year. This award is very difficult to win and only two members have ever won it - Glee Crowder and David Kincaid. To win this award you must hike over 1,000 miles, lead over 50 hikes, lead 12 different hikes and contribute 16 or more hours of trail maintenance.

Certificate of Achievement for Glee Crowder

Glee Crowder joined the IHC in 1999 (and this year is celebrating 25 years as a member) and didn't lead any hikes for the first two years. Beginning in 2002 she led her first hike in her beloved Fountain Square. For the next 23 years, until her heart doctor said no more hiking, leading or driving, Glee led more than twice as many hikes as any other member in the 68 year history of the club - 3,923 hikes to be exact. She also currently holds the all time mileage record with 55,867 miles. She was presented a Certificate of Achievement to honor her accomplishment. Here is a photo of Glee holding the certificate she was presented for leading the most hikes ever.

New 25 Year Members

The following 6 members have now been in the Club for 25 years. 
Donna Chastain
Glee Crowder
Jessi Jolly
Tom Kapostasy
Rick Michael
Carol Radke