The 56th Annual Woman of the Year banquet, sponsored by the Zonta Club of Alpena and held at the APlex, drew about 170 attendees, including 40 of Rundell’s friends and family members who kept the secret that she was nominated and selected as the 2023 Woman of the Year.

Mistress of Ceremony Kathy Nowak read excerpts from some of the nomination forms before Rundell took to the stage.

“Carol’s upbeat attitude and outstanding leadership make everyone around her feel important and loved,” Nowak read. “She changes people’s lives with her kindness and giving … Carol’s impact is immeasurable. To know her is to love her. Indeed, we are lucky to have Carol in our community, and we are honored to name her the 2023 Woman of the Year.”

When Rundell took the mic, she joked that she had prepared a speech because the only way her friends were able to get her out of Wednesday’s rehearsal at Alpena Civic Theatre was to tell her she had to give a speech honoring another friend whom she thought was being named Woman of the Year.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Carol Rundell expresses her gratitude for being named Zonta Woman of the Year Wednesday evening at the APlex.

“First of all, I’d like to say to everybody who kept the secret for months, yeah, you all are actors,” said the longtime Alpena Civic Theatre actress and director.

She is currently directing “Little Women,” which opens May 11.

“I am truly honored and grateful and humbled by this,” Rundell said. “You just want to go through life treating people as you would want to be treated. It’s really simple. Just, so many people out there don’t get it. My parents always helped people, and I didn’t get that … but I understand, now that I’m older. You just get so much better at giving.”

She said being kind is as easy as offering a listening ear or giving a hug. You just have to be there for someone in their time of need.

Rundell credited her friends, family, coworkers, and fellow volunteers with giving her the support she needs to be able to help others.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Zonta Club of Alpena Vice President Eileen Budnick presents Zonta Woman of the Year Carol Rundell with a plaque and yellow roses Wednesday evening at the APlex.

“They’re my family, every one,” Rundell said. “My work family, my theater family, we comfort each other, we cheer each other on.”

Her daughter even came all the way from Fargo, North Dakota to support her mom.

“She cannot keep a secret for the life of her,” Rundell said. But this time, she did. “Then, to see her right in front of the line, that was just the best … I’m blessed.”

Rundell said she was shocked when she realized she was being honored, but that quickly turned into happiness, which tied right into this year’s banquet theme, “Happiness Blooms Within.”

Eileen Budnick, Zonta Club of Alpena vice president, presented Carol with a vase, a plaque engraved for the occasion, and a bouquet of yellow roses, a symbol of Zonta Clubs all over the world.

“Carol is being honored for her generous commitment to our community,” a press release from Zonta Club of Alpena explained. “Carol is one of those selfless individuals that steps up without wanting the acknowledgment of what she has done. Carol received multiple nomination letters. They described the impact she has on the community and individuals.”

After Rundell completed high school, she served her country by enrolling in the U.S. Army. She was a medic and squad leader. She was a foster parent for many years. She volunteers for Sunday Suppers regularly at Trinity Episcopal Church, cooking and preparing meals. She also collects Easter and Christmas gifts for the patrons. She originally initiated and organizes an annual food drive to collect Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for those in need. She assists with fundraisers for Friends Together and organizes a Thanksgiving pie sale at MyMichigan Hospital to raise money to purchase gas cards for cancer patients.

Rundell has been a volunteer at Thunder Bay Theatre, and is now actively involved in the Alpena Civic Theatre. She serves on the ACT Board of Directors, is an actress and a director. Her thoughtfulness for people extends to local cancer patients. She once brought 50 cancer patients to a dress rehearsal at the theater to lift their spirits.

After Rundell’s name was announced, a catered dinner was served by JJ’s Catering, and DeAnna Cambridge gave a beautiful speech centering on the theme, “Happiness Blooms Within.”

Cambridge is the Zonta Club of Michigan Capital Area president and District 15 Leadership Development and Nominating Committee chair.

Cambridge encouraged attendees to allow themselves to be childlike and recall the happiness they felt as youngsters. She focused on three main takeaways: be mindful, be grateful, and be kind. She said the very act of being kind to others actually releases dopamine and serotonin in the brain, the chemicals responsible for making you feel happy.

“Happiness is not the absence of problems. It’s the ability to deal with them,” Cambridge said, quoting Steve Maraboli.

She went on to explain mindfulness, which is the state of being in the moment instead of being caught up in all the stresses of the past and future.

She added that happiness is meant to be shared.

“Happiness is typically something that others can see,” Cambridge said. “When you’re happy, it’s not something that’s hidden … No, it, kind of, overflows, it bubbles, and it comes out. And that’s the beauty of happiness.”

Door prizes were given out, and one lucky winner named Richard won the Bolenz Jewelry Raffle Drawing for a $1,000 shopping spree. Zonta member Sue O’Neill chaired this year’s successful event.

The Zonta Club of Alpena, as a member of Zonta International, is a worldwide service organization of executives in business and the professions working together to enhance the status of women. The Zonta Club of Alpena was chartered on Nov. 23, 1963, so the club is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.