It was an honor and privilege for the Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition to be awarded the Charles H. Allebach, Jr. Community Service Award, presented to the Coalition by the Indian Valley Chamber of Commerce on January 17, 2019. The coalition also received citations from the Senate of PA and the House of Representatives from State Respresentative Steven R. Malagari for their work in the community.

Below is an excerpt from the Souderton Independent in reference to the Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition receiving the award as reported by Bob Keeler from the Independent.

“Our mission is to promote positive youth development by providing information, supporting programs and strengthening community relationships that promote the principles of Character Counts and that build assets to help Indian Valley youth stay healthy, safe and drug-free,” Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition said in awards information.

The Charles H. Allebach Jr. Community Service Award is named in honor of former longtime Souderton Mayor Charles Allebach, who died in 2017.

“If you knew Charlie, you knew what kind of man he was,” Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition President Christopher Hey said. “He was all about Character Counts. He was quite a character, too.” 

It’s fitting that the coalition is being presented the award named after Allebach, Hey said.

“He was on our board. There wasn’t an event he didn’t come to. There wasn’t a time when he didn’t open his checkbook to help us stay afloat,” Hey said. 

He encouraged those in attendance to, like Allebach, be positive role models to the young people in their lives. 

“That’s what builds character,” Hey said.