Page 40 2023 Hometown HEROES Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS May 2023 “John has a gift for seeing a need and filling it. Whether this came through his time as an Elder at Lincoln Christian Church, his outreach to the community, a need in another country, or other avenues, so many lives have been blessed because he took the time, effort, or finances to be a part of the solution. He is funny, supportive, and a tremendous encourager.” As Gail Guzzardo mentioned, John has been active in his community serving in offices that are sometimes far from popular. He served as a city of Lincoln Alderman and then as the city’s Mayor. He’s been a member of the Lincoln Elementary School District 27 School Board, and the treasurer as well as an Elder at Lincoln Christian Church. Also, he worked hard serving as the CoCampaign Chairman to raise funding to build the current Lincoln Memorial Hospital. Prior to Covid-19, when annual Relay for Life events were held in Lincoln, Guzzardo provided the food for the Survivors Dinner on the night before the relay. And, of course, thousands, literally thousands of meals have been handed out the back door of the restaurant on Thanksgiving morning as Guzzardo and his staff saw to it that anyone and everyone who had a need was served a meal on Thanksgiving Day. While Guzzardo’s heart is filled with love for his community, he has seen struggles over the years, and through those struggles his belief that showing love is the best way to survive every challenge shines through. In 2018 Guzzardo spoke at a Cancer Survivor/ Supporter Rally at the LMH Wellness Trail. He spoke with love about the cancer battles he had witnessed with friends and loved ones, including his first wife Frankie. He spoke about how the battle ends, with victory over the disease and years of living life on earth, or with victory over the disease and an eternal home with God the Father. He spoke about reaching out to a friend who was a nonbeliever and having the personal experience of showing that friend the path to God and witnessing his salvation. Guzzardo said that showing love and reaching out to others is a symbol of unity in all things. Guzzardo has made some dear friends over the years, and among them are Bill and Blinn Bates. When Bill was asked to share his feelings about his friend, he wrote the following message. Continued --
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