Decades of service for community

Longtime National Cherry Festival volunteer Tom Plasman

Empire resident Tom Plasman has been a longtime volunteer at the National Cherry Festival for well over 40 years now, and with the festival celebrating 100 years this season, he says he plans to continue doing so for as long as they’ll have them.

“That whole organization is very, very well organized, and they’re years ahead in their planning… You never see anybody walking away or walking around that isn’t smiling unless there’s somebody not attending the festival,” Plasman said. “It (volunteering) offers three things: information, education, entertainment and an opportunity to be a member of the community, and, in a sense, help somebody.”