By Sue Moore
The Vicksburg Rotary Club gave a tribute to Mike Tichvon at its annual Charter Night meeting in June, naming him as the Paul Harris Fellow for the year. This is the highest award that the club gives to any of its members. In doing the presentation, Skip Knowles noted that the club also recognized Tichvon as its “Hero” in 2017.
Tichvon joined the Vicksburg Rotary Club in 2006, soon after moving to Vicksburg. He very quickly demonstrated his interest, willingness and eagerness to volunteer for Rotary as well as the community. He has a unique set of skills that he gives freely of to the Vicksburg Rotary Club and the Vicksburg community, Knowles said.
Mike has served as secretary for the club since 2011, and in each of the board roles, including president in 2013-14. Perhaps his most lasting contribution to the club has been as general chairman of the annual Rotary Showboat since 2012. Showboat is the primary club fund raiser, which has allowed the club to contribute thousands of dollars back to the community. His role is to make everyone happy while seeing to all the details of putting on the finest stage production possible. He has to balance the demands of the show director, the music director, the stage manager and beyond that anyone else who has a need that must be met. It is a Herculean task, but he is certainly the one who can do it, Knowles said.
He is the greens superintendent of Angels Crossing golf course, working tirelessly to make it one of the finest player courses in this part of the state. Because he is well-versed in sprinkler systems he has been called upon to install them in the community garden as a volunteer and for the village of Vicksburg’s many new park developments that benefit from his expertise.
That is quite literally a drop in the bucket in his giving back to the community. To make things grow for friends and neighbors, he freely dispenses his knowledge on growing specialty grasses, getting rid of pesky moles in lawns and the best planting practices for shrubs and trees, according to Laura Howard, who is in charge of selecting the people who receive the Hero and Mercer Munn awards annually.
Tichvon is active in his church and volunteers in many Vicksburg projects including the Vicksburg Historic Village, community gardens, Vicksburg Lions Club and other activities in the greater Vicksburg community. He even manages to play a wicked game of golf upon occasion.
“The Vicksburg Club is honored to recognize Mike with the Paul Harris award and name him our Hero who truly lives the Rotary concept of Service Above Self,” Knowles said.