Sicard a Volunteer for All in Need
No one is quite sure how many wishes George Sicard has captained as a wish granter for Make-A-Wish® Northeast New York, or how many he has assisted on formally or informally over more than a quarter century as a volunteer. Forget trying to put a number on the on the times he’s called for help from one of his many friends, whether it be for a load of topsoil, carpentry, painting -- or an actual ship captain.
In addition to wish granting, Sicard, a retired Glens Falls firefighter, has climbed mountains for Make-A-Wish, and organized motorcycle rallies. He said he was “not looking for another cause” when a friend approached him about wish granting in 1993. Hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of volunteering later, he has no regrets.
And, oh, how he has given.
In addition to his 26-plus years as a wish granter, Sicard has traveled to Guatemala for 24 years as part of area groups to help build and rehab schools in that nation’s impoverished Central Highlands. Sicard, 69, who survived a near-fatal bout of meningitis a decade ago (believed to have been contracted on one of his humanitarian missions), said his recent trip was his group’s last.
“We are beat up and sore,” said Sicard, describing long trips on flatbeds over rocky riverbeds to reach remote villages. “It was pretty fun. … There was a satisfaction. People appreciate it.”
What Sicard doesn’t appreciate is the limelight, preferring to work tirelessly behind the scenes for children, whether it be locally or on another continent. But that doesn’t make him any less valued and respected, both abroad and right here at home.