As we approach the final days of the year, it’s worth taking a moment to look back and reflect. What were the highs and lows? What did we do that had a positive impact? A recent recipient of one of our awards comes to mind. It’s a great reminder of why we do what we do.
An Anonymous Hero
To tell this story properly, we need to go back to 1979, when gas was 90 cents and the top song was “My Sharona” by The Knack. Tensions between the US and Iran were also at a boiling point when a group of Iranian students stormed the US Embassy and began the infamous Iran Hostage Crisis. The 52 hostages were held for a terrifying 444 days. Among them was a Vietnam War veteran, lifelong service member, and future recipient of one of our rings.
This veteran risked his life multiple times for the sake of his country. He demonstrated incredible courage and resilience in the face of adversity. In order to recognize his many years of service and sacrifice, he recently received a custom Vietnam War Veterans ring, manufactured by us. As a supplier, it’s not often that we hear back from the recipients of our awards, so we truly cherish each response. Our distributor partner for these rings, Ian C. Modelevsky, Inc., passed along this veteran’s message:
“Hi Ruby, Just wanted you to know that the recipient of this ring received it today and is thrilled!!! He was in the service all his life, he was one of the victims held by the Iran government for 444 days, and was famously released the day Ronald Regan became president. He has quite the story to tell. He also had surgery Monday and is doing well so to receive this beautiful ring today was very emotional for him. He was very gracious and thanked us all. Please advise the people at Dion of the review from this grateful Veteran. -Sharon"
The Power of Appreciation
At Dion, we never lose sight of the people we make our awards for. Whether it’s a nursing pin for a newly graduated nurse, or a belt buckle for a driver with years of safe performance, these awards mean something. They represent the culmination of the recipient’s hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence. They are both a physically and emotionally high-value object.
We believe the custom nature of our jewelry awards imparts that meaningful emotional impact. These awards are exclusive to their organizations and can only be earned through hard work. Recipients can wear them with pride as a constant reminder of their success and appreciation. We’ve even heard of recipients who plan to pass their award down to their children! It means the world to hear when our products are treasured by the awardees.
Thank You
With this in mind, we move into 2023 with a sense of gratitude. We extend our warmest thanks to all of our distributor partners and our vendors. It’s been another great year of creating meaningful moments of appreciation - and we couldn’t do it without you! Thanks also to you, the reader. Whether this is the first blog you’ve read, or you read them every other week, we thank you for spending some time with us. From all of us at Team Dion, have a happy, healthy New Year!
By Aubrey Dion
Aubrey Dion is proud to be back working for the family business she grew up in. Over the years, she has performed a wide variety of jobs in both the office and factory, becoming a true "jack of all trades." Aubrey credits her quick learning ability to her strong theatre background, where memorization and attention to detail are vital. Working in the marketing department allows her to stay creative and work on exciting new projects for the company.
