The Webster Recreation Center is organizing a community-wide clean-up event to honor a beloved long-time staff member who passed away in 2023.
It’s called the Helping Heroes Clean-up Day, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, held in honor of Tom Smock, who was not only a valued member of the Webster Recreation Center community, but the greater Webster community as well.
The whole idea of Helping Heroes Clean-up Day is for households, especially the elderly, who need some extra help cleaning up yard debris, to sign up for assistance, AND – to honor Tom’s giving spirit — for community members to sign up to volunteer.
Helping Heroes Day is a very appropriate way to honor Tom. Recreation Supervisor Julie Schillaci wrote,
Tom worked for us from November 2016 to September 2023 as a part-time custodian. However, he was so much more! He interacted daily with the 55+ folks, fitness members, and all the kids in our building. … Tom was such a generous and humble guy. He would always lend a hand with whatever was needed at the Recreation Center and he is sorely missed around here.
But Tom’s kindness and generosity stretched well beyond the confines of the Webster Recreation Center. In the eulogy she gave at Tom’s funeral, long-time friend Pat Font painted a picture of the kind of guy Tom was:
Tom was a simple guy who loved the simple pleasures of life. He had lots of wonderful qualities – he was a very likeable guy to anyone who met him. … (He) had the biggest heart ever – he would give anyone the shirt off his back. He constantly gave to charities, never missed anyone’s birthday, and gave of his time and talents to anyone who needed help.
Tom was a registered nurse, an active outdoors-man, accomplished gardener and great at repairing pretty much everything. He was a devoted Rotarian and served as the organization’s president. No matter what challenge he chose to tackle, Tom Smock committed his time and talents to their fullest.
Right now the Rec Center has about 10 houses registered for spring clean, and about 30 volunteers signed up so far. They’d LOVE for more homes to sign up, so spread the word to you elderly neighbors. They’d also LOVE LOVE for a lot more volunteers to help out. Many hands make light work.
To register or volunteer, call the Webster Recreation Center at (585) 872-7103.
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(posted 3/29/2025)
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