Justin L. Vigdor will be the 86th recipient of the Rochester Rotary Award, the oldest and most prestigious civic award in Rochester. The award recognizes community members who personify Rotary’s “Service Above Self” motto and who demonstrate exceptional community spirit, touch the lives of many citizens, serve as a positive role model, and share wisdom and knowledge to empower others.

Rochester Rotary is honoring Justin Vigdor for his more than half a century of service to the Rochester community. Vigdor has served on dozens of nonprofit boards of directors, including being instrumental in founding the Al Sigl Community of Agencies and serving as chair of the Rochester Fringe Festival for a decade. He also led a 20-year project to create the Telesca Center for Justice, which co-locates the region’s providers of legal services to the indigent. Other board service included Alzheimer’s Association, Quad A for Kids, Mary Cariola Center, The Hochstein School, Jewish Family Center, Special Olympics of Genesee and Western N.Y. and United Way of Greater Rochester.

In his nomination letter, Rabbi Peter W. Stein of Temple B’rith Kodesh, wrote, “Justin possesses a unique and extraordinary combination of generosity, humility and passion. He is always eager to help and to lend his wisdom and his talents… Justin is a visionary leader whose impact cannot be fully expressed.”

 

Edward P. Hourihan, Jr., managing member of Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC’s Rochester office, noted that, “in celebration of his 70th year as a lawyer, the Rochester Business Journal remarked that “[i]t’s hard to imagine Rochester without Justin L. Vigdor.”

 

Previous Rochester Rotary Award honorees include B. Thomas Golisano, Al Sigl, Joseph Wilson, Marion Folsom, Ritter Shumway, Constance Mitchell, Burton August, Don Alhart, Dr. Walter Cooper, R. Carlos Carballada, Joan and Harold Feinbloom, Dr. Ralph Pennino, James Isaac, Andrew and Karen Gallina, David Flaum, Victor Salerno, Paul DeCarolis, Dr. Vito Quatela, Howard Konar and Elaine Spaull.

 

Rochester Rotary will present the award during a reception on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the George Eastman Museum. Proceeds from the event will benefit Rochester Rotary Sunshine Camp. Ticket information is available online at rochesterrotary.org, or by contacting Myrna Padilla at Rochester Rotary, myrna@rochesterrotary.org or 585.546.7435, ext. 201.

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