Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: Dollars to those who help others

The Nevada Appeal's "Silver Dollar" and "Wooden Nickel" feature recognizes positive achievements from the Capital region and, when warranted, points out others that missed the mark.

Silver Dollar: This week's reader-nominated award goes to Pam Anderson and her staff at Carson City's Straw Hat Pizza. On May 18, the restaurant hosted a fundraiser for Good Samaritan Wayne Nash, who was shot in the leg after he stopped to help a motorist on Mother's Day along Highway 395 in Washoe Valley. He had several surgeries last month to repair damage from the shooting.

The fundraiser idea originated with Carson High School teacher Erin Been, and Anderson donated 50 percent of proceeds collected to a medical fund for Nash. Approximately $4,200 was raised that evening.

Following is an eyewitness report of the event: "As one of the guests that night, I can tell that the fundraiser was a smashing success. At the time I was there, there were at least 100 people in the restaurant, and more were lined up out the door. I witnessed Pam in the kitchen going full throttle making the dough, rolling the dough, never stopping - she just kept going. Her staff that night was fabulous as well; patient, courteous and professional."

Silver Dollar: Carson City honored Peggy Willis for her quick thinking and a cool head that resulted in lifesaving action in February.

Willis, a contract janitor at the Nevada Department of Information Technology, received a commendation from Fire Chief Stacey Giomi at a recent supervisors meeting for saving the life of Dennis Sannebeck, building supervisor for the state Information Technology division.

Shortly after arriving at the state office early in the morning to begin her cleaning duties, Willis found Sannebeck slumped over his desk. She immediately directed other employees to start CPR and call paramedics while she got the building's defibrillator. Sannebeck said he only remembers walking into work that day and waking up in the hospital two weeks later.

"It's just amazing to me, the sequence of events," he said. "I mean, if she wouldn't have vacuumed that morning ... One minute later and I wouldn't be here."

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editor@nevadaappeal.com