AARP Wyoming named Sheridan resident Jack Wood as its 2024 Andrus Award Winner on Monday. The award is named after AARP Founder Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus and goes to the state’s top volunteer over the age of 50.
Wood will be formally honored at a banquet during AARP Wyoming’s Volunteer Summit at the UCross Ranch on October 2.
“This is very exciting and I really appreciate the award,” Wood said Monday. “I don’t volunteer for the awards. I do it to give back to a community that we really love. I had so many people reach out and ask about the nomination for this award and then ask how they could vote for me. That was humbling.”
The finalists for the 2024 Andrus Award included Patricia Naumoff of Star Valley Ranch, Cheyenne’s Bryce and Pam Freeman, as well as Wood. The final vote to determine the Andrus Award was held measuring social media activity, as well as an online vote. Wood collected 60% of a tight vote.
A Life Dedicated To Service in Sheridan County
Wood is well known around Sheridan County circles, especially when it comes to the Pink Link fundraiser and early cancer detection efforts. For Wood, the inspiration to volunteer to promote cancer screenings and early detection comes from a very genuine place. Jack and his wife, Kathleen, lost their daughter to cancer in 2016. Since Dana Marie Wood death just months after her 45th birthday, the Woods have devoted their time and money to helping those in the Sheridan County area fight the dreaded disease.
“When I lost my daughter, I started donating to early detection programs like the Pink Link Cancer Screening Fun Run,” Wood says. “Now, we also do fundraisers like the Pink Link Night at WYO Rodeo. We sell pink hats one night at the rodeo and that money goes to fund cancer screenings.
“I’ve also written letters to the Legislature to encourage their funding of early detection, and I’ve paid for advertisements for early detection efforts on television. It’s just something I am very passionate about.”
In 2016 Wood joined the Sheridan Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. The Red Coats, as they are known, work to welcome new businesses to the community through ribbon cuttings, and tours. The Red Coats also run the Boot Kicking Contest (a contest to see who can kick a cowboy boot off their foot the furthest) during the WYO Rodeo.
The day after Thanksgiving, Jack and his wife, Kathleen, don the costumes of Santa and Mrs. Claus for up to four hours as they take part in the Sheridan Christmas Stroll Parade and then meet with children.
“We average over 500 kids per day,” Wood says. “The smiles on the kids’ faces when they meet Santa is gratifying. The kids bring letters to Santa and we read and listen to the kids’ letters. My wife joined me as Mrs. Clause this year. Before that my cousin was Mrs. Clause for the last 45 years.”
Wood is just as comfortable in front of a grill as he is at a ribbon cutting. In 2019 at the request of his son-in-law, Justin Chase, Wood donated his time and money to the Sheridan Softball Association making and selling breakfast burritos at an adult slo-pitch softball tournament. The money went back to the softball association to support future events. While Wood lost his son-in-law to COVID a few years back, he remains behind the grill for the cause. This year, Wood made and sold over 100 breakfast burritos and grilled from 7am until the final out was made each night cooking a few hundred hamburgers and hot dogs at the Justin Chase Memorial Softball Tournament.
When not grilling, ribbon cutting, or promoting early cancer screenings, Wood is also a member of the Sheridan AARP Community Action Team. If things go his way in November, Wood will have another volunteer gig – City Council member. Currently, he is one of four candidates running for three open seats on the Council. Wood has been before the Council previously lobbying for funding for the Goose Creek Transportation effort – transit program for older adults run through Sheridan’s Senior Center.
While not a Sheridan native, Wood has known Sheridan for most of his life. Wood’s father, moved to Sheridan in 1932 and while Jack was born in California, Wood says his family made routine trips to Sheridan to see family. Wood spent 40 years in the trucking industry before moving to Sheridan in 2008. He got a job in the coal mines and retired for one month at age 65 after his daughter’s passing before going to school to get his real estate license and later his associate broker’s license.
“This is just the place we feel very comfortable, and we never want to go back to California.”
Jack’s wife Kathleen nominated her husband for the Andrus Award. Jack said he appreciates her nomination, but he wouldn’t be able to win the award without her help.
“In everything I do, she is right there with me,” Wood says. “She is doing all the volunteer work I am. We are a team.”