Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Reflections on the 2015 Inductee Ceremony


                With a small smile on his face, Sherwood J. “Buddy” Johnson proudly accepted his plaque signifying his acceptance into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame at their luncheon last Friday, March 6th. Family, friends, and other citrus industry participants applauded, celebrating alongside him. It was a magnificent honor and Johnson made sure to let his audience know how grateful he was for it.

                Johnson was not the only one inducted. There were also Nicholas “Nick” D. Faryna and John C. Updike, Sr., who were inducted posthumously. Their children accepted their awards for them, glad to have others acknowledge the impact their fathers had on the citrus industry.

                It was a wonderful experience to take part with this celebration. Through videos about their lives and speeches made, it was amazing to see the involvement that these inductees had with the citrus industry. According to the 2015 Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Citrus Celebration program, Faryna experimented on ways to use water during a freeze to protect citrus crops, which ended up being implemented in many northern groves. Updike created the “dairy pack concept of frozen orange concentrate.”And Johnson was one of the first packers that moved into the computer age with his grading line. All three inductees clearly deserved recognition and it was wonderful to see them get it.

                It was also so sweet to see Faryna and Updike’s adult children go up to the microphone and speak warmly and nostalgically about their fathers. In addition, it was nice to see Johnson go up and personally thank everyone. I had no idea the diligence, time, and work that needed to be invested in the citrus industry to run groves, packinghouses, gift fruit businesses, and more. By the end of it all, I was glad to see these inductees commemorated for their contributions to the citrus industry.

                Before I attended the inductee ceremony, I never really understood what the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame was all about. According to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame website, “The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame was established in 1962 to pay tribute to those who have made outstanding contributions to the Florida citrus industry.” I had read this description, but I did not understand it until I went to the inductee ceremony and saw the award accepted with immense gratitude. There are so many people involved in the citrus industry, having to constantly think of innovative ways to work through freezes, financial issues, and other obstacles. It is not an easy job, but those who fulfill it deserve to be commemorated.

                I am glad I was able to witness such a celebratory event. It inspired me to work diligently in my own life; perhaps someday I might have family members that are proud enough to want to share my accomplishments with the world. However, in order to have accomplishments worth celebrating, like these three inductees, I learnt there is one important action I need to take to heart: perseverance.

Written by Selys Rivera
Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

No comments:

Post a Comment