Congrats to Jim Zondag, GLR WFA Winner

[Jay TenBrink]

Congrats to Jim Zondag, who was awarded the 2008 Great Lakes Regional Woodie FLowers Award earlier today!

There has been nobody else from any other team that has helped me and our team(s) more throughout my years at FIRST than Jim.

It is so nice when good things happen to good people, and Jim certainly is good people.

Sincerely,

Jay TenBrink

[Herodotus]

Congratulations, it is certainly well overdue. A lot of people I talked too actually thought you had already won it before, we just took it for granted that someone like you must have won the WFA at some point.

I know you've helped our team, and many others, with many different programming issues especially. Congrats again, and thank you for your dedication to FIRST.

[woody]

I want to congratulate our incredible mentor Jim Zondag, and, more importantly, thank him for his many years of dedication to our team. He has touched so many lives, it is fantastic that he should recieve this incredible honor.
Thank you Jim, we love you!

[Beth Sweet]

So thrilled to see that on the pit monitor, I was jumping up and down with 3's on each hand! There is no one for whom Jim will not go past the edge of reasonable help for. I sure as he...ck hope that you bring this home in Atlanta Jim, you are definitely at the caliber of the other Champ WFA's that I know, and deserve to be recognized as such!

[Josh Murphy]

Congrats to Jim Zondag on a very well earned and overdue honor. Jim is one of the best mentors in FIRST.

[65_Xero_Huskie]

Congrats to Jim Zondag on a very well earned and overdue honor. Jim is one of the best mentors in FIRST.

Agreed 100%

[Davey H]

ditto to all you guys as a four year member of our team Jim has helped me with everything from homework to college admissions essays to robot design methods. I've seen him touch so many lives, and do so much not just for our team, but for FIRST in general truly pouring his heart and soul into this program. Thanks for everything Jim and congratulations!

[Chris Fultz]

Congratulations Jim.
We can only guess at your level of excitement

(since you hide your emotions so well .... ;) )

[Mark Holschuh]

Add our team's congratulations as well. Its well deserved.

[Don Wright]

Congrats to Jim Zondag on a very well earned and overdue honor. Jim is one of the best mentors in FIRST.
I couldn't have said it better!!!

Congrats!!!

[TomZ]

Team 1718 would like to congratulate Jim for winning WFA. And we look forward to working with you in the future!!!

[GaryVoshol]

I'm sorry we had to leave early and missed it in person. I saw it on the Awards page on the FIRST site later on.

Congrats Jim, and don't stop doing all you do inside and outside of FIRST.

Now, if we could just get him to calm down a little ... naaw!

[Mike Schreiber]

Congratulations to Jim Zondag, I spent 1/2 the weekend talking to the Killer Bees, because our pits were so close, and I can truly say that he is one of the most deserving mentors of the WFA. I'm rooting for him (and of course Anthony Lapp because he's our mentor) in Atlanta.

[Pat Major]

Congratulations Jim.
We can only guess at your level of excitement

(since you hide your emotions so well .... ;) )

You should have seen the 4 Championship WFA winners that were on hand to present the award doing the “Zondag Victory Jump” with fist clenched, arms raised over their heads, as Jim was shaking hands with the judges. It was priceless. Long overdue, congratulations Jim.

[Kevin Kolodziej]

Congrats, Jim! So long overdue. Your excitement and passion has always been a defining part of FIRST for me. The first time I met you on the field oh so many years ago was a treat - and its great to see your continued enthusiasm finally recognized =)

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Congratulations Jimmy! I wish I would have been there to see your win. See you soon.

[Karthik]

You should have seen the 4 Championship WFA winners that were on hand to present the award doing the “Zondag Victory Jump” with fist clenched, arms raised over their heads, as Jim was shaking hands with the judges. It was priceless. Long overdue, congratulations Jim.

I was upset about missing GLR already, but knowing that I missed this scene makes me even more upset.

Congratulations, Jim!!

[Bruce Meyer]

From the kickoff programming seminars to talking yourself hoarse about FIRST at the YES! Expo to your endless help and support in the pits to other teams, thank you and congratulations!

[Bruce27]

Great job Jim you have been a role model to all of us, Good luck in atlanta

[Chris Hibner]

I'm really sorry I wasn't there to see the ceremony or say "congratulations" in person. Congratulations, Jim! Well deserved.

[Sean Schuff]

Congrats Jim! Very much deserved. I can see the Jim jump in my mind!!

Sean

[meaubry]

Jim,
You inspire all of us on Team 47.
Your enthusiasm is contagious, and you are a great person.
Your award is well deserving and long, long, long, overdue.

Your friend,
Mike Aubry and all the rest of the Chiefs

[Paul H]

LOOOOOOONG overdue, congrats again Jim. Take it home in Atlanta.

[mark johnson]

JIM you are the true meaning of the Woody Flowers Award.and gracious professionalism.If some one is having a problem with there robot ,Jim is there trying to solve there problem. He helped us at WMR when our auton wasnt working and solved our problem.This is not the first time he has helped us with problems. GONGRATULATIONS WELL DESERVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ed Sparks]

Can't think of a more deserving mentor. Congratulations Jim!

[chepler0804]

Congratulations to Jim Zondag for winning the GLR Woodie Flowers Award. Jim has been one of my best friends in FIRST and I am shocked that he hasn't won this award before. No one deserves it more than he does and I hope he wins the Championship WFA in Atlanta. In a field of great mentors from all parts of the world, Jim stands head and shoulders above the rest.

[carla_rose]

I am so happy that Jim finally won the WFA. We were so happy to see him that happy. He's always there for all of us, and he truly deserved this award. It's so nice to see that so many people agree. And everyone doing the Jim-jump was priceless.

[marccenter]

I would also like to extend my congratulations to Jim. You're certainly among the folks that Woodie Flowers talks about
when "getting a PhD in Gracious Professionalism" in FIRST. Wish you and the "Killer Bee" the best for this season.

[John Wanninger]

A wonderful moment, an award so fitting! Congratulations Jim!

[JackN]

Sadly I was in Florida for GLR, so I couldn't see the competition in person, when I found out that Jim Zondag won the WFA I flipped out. The Killer Bees, in particular Mr. Zondag, have always been a role model for FIRST and one of my favorite teams. Mr. Zondag gave my mom's team (2137) a laptop computer for programming this past season, stepping up when they needed someone to. Mr. Zondag I am so happy to see you win this award, it could not have gone to a better person.