The August, 2004 Citizen of the Month is an individual who volunteers in our community and makes a difference in the lives of many citizens. As Mayor of Rapid City, I am pleased to present the Citizen of the Month award to Deb Fredrich.

Deb’s life is full of volunteer activities every day of the week. Deb is very active in her church, this year with the summer youth program for middle school children planning everything from trips to nursing homes for interaction with seniors or a camping trip. She is involved with the marriage encounter group and other programs at Blessed Sacrament Church. For several years, Deb has been involved with Hospice of Rapid City where she normally carries one primary patient at a time in addition to being on call when needed. Deb states that this is very special and while it is sometimes very hard, she does whatever she can do to make things easier for the patient and/or care provider.

Over the past many years, Deb has been a very active parent in her children’s schools, from Pinedale Elementary, West Jr. High and Stevens High School. This past year she has been a core member of the Parents Academy, providing a variety of workshops to help parents be parents. She also helps organize the “teacher appreciation day” every month at Stevens as a way of saying thank you to the teachers. At West Junior High School, Deb is involved with the calling of parents and others for the carnival booths. For all of her involvement with the Rapid City Schools, she has received the “Starfish Award”.

Deb is married to Mike and they have four children – Amy, age 23, Stacy, age 22, Scott, age 17 and Jason, age 13. (Tonight is their 24th wedding anniversary). The Fredrichs have lived in Rapid City for the past twenty-four years where Mike works for Black Hills Corp.

Deb’s friends say that she is the first to extend a hand to help, from church activities, school programs to hospice care. She is the ultimate organizer and an “all around great individual who is always there to lend a hand.”