Each May sand volleyball teams from across the country descend upon Gulf Shores for the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship. During the 2021 tournament, two Gulf Shores Public Works team members went above and beyond the call of duty and were honored for their efforts.
During the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship, Winslow Church, a Stanford Beach Volleyball player, lost a gold cross she had received from her grandmother.
“It was a gift from my grandmother that I haven’t taken off since fifth grade. She had passed away about two weeks before I had lost it. I thought it was gone forever,” Church said.
Spectators, team members and sports commission employees searched the sand with metal detectors and small hand sifters but were not successful in locating the necklace.
“At the end of the day, Grant Brown made me aware of the situation and asked if our beach crews could try to continue looking the next morning,” said Noel Hand, Gulf Shores Public Works Director.
At sunrise the next morning, Sid Lewter and Jeramy Stainbrook began sifting through the sand by hand. Within a few hours they had located the cross. Church and her mother were contacted and Lewter and Stainbrook were able to return the cross to them.
The City of Gulf Shores posted the story on its Facebook page. The entry received 66 likes and was shared 63 times. The Coastal Alabama Business Chamber received multiple Island Spirit Award entries saying Lewter and Stainbrook were most deserving of the award.
Members of the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber and City of Gulf Shores employees honored Lewter and Stainbrook with commemorative plaques, Island Spirit lapel pins and a cash prize as a small token of appreciation for their selfless act.
“These gentlemen deserve every award in the book. I cannot believe someone would do all this for someone they don’t even know. Even after searching with metal detectors for two hours and finding nothing, they didn’t stop. I am so glad they are getting publicly recognized for this and am so beyond grateful for their selflessness,” said Church.
