March 4, 2011 > Gary Pacheco awarded HARD honor Gary Pacheco awarded HARD honor Submitted by HARD Photo by Simon Wong Gary Pacheco, Vice President of Pacheco Brothers Gardening, was presented with the 2010 Hayward Area Recreation and Park District's (HARD) 2010 Annual Board of Directors' Individual Award at a luncheon at Mt. Eden Mansion on January 28. In 1962, the Board of Directors established an Annual Awards policy to recognize individuals and organizations that voluntarily assist HARD in its mission to provide high quality leisure facilities and programs to its residents. The Awards Committee, consisting of HARD Directors Minane Jameson and Carol Pereira and staff members, Kerrilyn Ely and John Gouveia, reviewed the nominations for 2010 and announced the winners in mid-January. Pacheco was nominated by his brother George, who regards Gary as "his best friend," for outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the community. The brothers are partners in Pacheco Brothers Gardening, a company with which many community members are familiar. Pacheco handles much of the behind-the-scenes logistics and has organized equipment and manpower for community projects and events such as the annual Arbor Day event in Hayward and the Rowell Ranch Rodeo. Pacheco has also assisted HARD by providing technical advice on plant and tree issues, water leaks and other problems that have arisen over the years. He is usually the one who provides "hands-on" assistance when the District, or just about any other community organization, needs a helping hand. "I appreciate the work that everyone else has done behind the scenes. HARD does tremendous work with its projects. We were born and raised in Hayward and it's very rewarding to work one-on-one with city and HARD staff. We look forward to many more years," says Pacheco. For more information, visit www.PachecoBrothers.com or call (510) 487-3580. For more about HARD, visit www.HaywardRec.org