Sharon Tuntland
Sixty neighbors from SaddleBrooke Units 42, 43, 44A, and 45 gathered on The Preserve patio on Sunday, Sept. 10, to honor Paulette Kasperski for winning first place in the SaddleBrooke TWO Champion of Gratitude Award in the Resident category. The award was created in 2023 to recognize volunteers and employees who consistently go the extra mile.
All SaddleBrooke TWO members were given the opportunity to nominate candidates for the awards. Paulette’s letters of endorsement emphasized her work with her Welcoming Committee to ensure all newcomers are greeted and given opportunities to become involved in our community. She frequently contacts “newbies,” informing them of SaddleBrooke activities, clubs, and services. She encourages everyone to participate.
Paulette’s friendly smile and enthusiasm for connecting people is contagious. Her organizational skills and attention to detail are second to none. To make sure neighbors get to know each other, Paulette and her husband Dan frequently host neighborhood theme parties, as well as happy hour dinners at The Preserve on the first Friday of each month. Paulette organizes group dinners and theater outings at the DesertView Performing Arts Center, the Community Circle Players, and the Gaslight Theater.
Paulette writes several newsletters a month promoting upcoming activities—those that have been organized by others and many of which she organizes herself. She is a master of contact lists, entertainment options, sign-up sheets, and carpools. She offers her assistance as new residents learn to navigate the many websites associated with SaddleBrooke activities. She is also a resource for myriad shopping, dining, and professional resources in our area.
She serves as a unit rep and social chair for Unit 44A. Activities that Paulette participates in and helps promote with her newsletter are Golf, POP Tennis, Trivia, Mah Jongg, Gadabouts, Euchre, Wine Club, Friday Night Happy Hour Dinners, Bunco, Book Club, Samba, Preserve Women of Wine (PWOW), and Nourishing Neighbors. Paulette is good at getting people involved. She says that it is the wonderful volunteer leaders and members of the SaddleBrooke TWO community who make each activity so successful.
A few quotes from Paulette’s nominations include:
“She was so welcoming when my husband and I moved to SaddleBrooke. She has boundless energy, and we appreciate her.”
“Paulette is an extraordinary ambassador for SaddleBrooke. Her attention is not limited to new residents. She organizes trips and dinners outside SaddleBrooke and trivia for SaddleBrooke singles and couples. She is the ‘Energizer Bunny’ that makes SaddleBrooke a true community. She is my hero.”
“She is a community treasure.”
The 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Happy Hour featured music by Chuck Moses. The lively event paid tribute to Paulette’s sustained commitment to enhancing the joy and bonds of the people she touches. She is a real community builder. Everyone attending the party expressed their gratitude to Paulette for her tireless efforts to make SaddleBrooke the “Fun Capital” of Tucson.