Operation Lifesaver honors volunteers Ashworth, Kittendorf

Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) recently named Debra Ashworth of Grand Island, Nebraska, and the late Delmar Kittendorf of Marietta, Georgia, as co-winners of the F. Tom Roberts Memorial Volunteer Award in recognition of their rail safety education outreach efforts. 

Created in 1994 in memory of F. Tom Roberts, who dedicated most of his life to reducing or eliminating death and injuries along railroad tracks, the award honors an individual who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to safety, OLI officials said in a press release.

A retired Union Pacific Railroad employee, Ashworth has been an active Operation Lifesaver volunteer since 2010, logging more than 900 safety presentations to over 10,000 people since 2017. She has worked to expand Nebraska OL’s partnerships with schools, first responders, driver education programs, photographer groups, K-12 students and others. She participates on behalf of Nebraska OL at the Nebraska State Fair and other large events. Debra and her husband Mark, also an OLI volunteer, have taken the NE OL safety trailer to events throughout Nebraska. She also serves as an Operation Lifesaver coach, training other volunteers.

Kittendorf, a retired Hewlett-Packard employee, was an active Georgia Operation Lifesaver volunteer from 2004 until his death in March 2020. He spent thousands of hours volunteering for Operation Lifesaver, incorporating the rail safety message in his activities with groups such as the National Railway Historical Society, Amtrak’s National Park Service's Trails and Rails Program, the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway and the Florida East Coast Railway Society. He helped coordinate and staff Georgia OL displays at many events and conferences each year.