SACRAMENTO – On March 19, 2005, Charles Brandon, a volunteer from Lancaster, was presented with the California Lottery's “Heroes in Education” award on “The Big Spin®” show.
For five years, Brandon has been volunteering fulltime at Linda Verde Center Elementary School in Lancaster. The students he works with all have severe developmental delays. Brandon, who has Down syndrome, knows first hand what it means to have special needs and he uses his own experiences to really connect with these students. He uses that knowledge to make sure that each student he works with has every possible resource available.
Brandon starts his day by making sure that breakfast is prepared just right for each of these students. In the classroom, he helps out with academics, giving students the one-on-one attention they deserve. During recess, Brandon takes the time to play ball with the students, making them feel like he’s not only there as a volunteer, but also as a friend.
On hand to honor Charles Brandon was Walter Koenig who has done it all in the world of entertainment. He’s an actor, director, screenwriter, novelist, and even a comic book creator. He is one of the stars of the original Star Trek television series, as well as seven different Star Trek feature films. He is best known as Russian-born Ensign Pavel Chekov.
The California Lottery’s “Heroes in Education” award has been presented monthly on “The Big Spin®” show, since 1999. The Lottery partners with celebrities to present these awards which recognize special individuals who volunteer time and resources to their schools and communities.