By Sarah Opdahl

The New Fairfield Community Service Club (CSC) is happy to announce that Stanley “Red” Britton is the recipient of the 2026 Town Hero Award. Britton is being recognized for his decades of volunteerism in Town. Raised in New Fairfield, 93-year-old Red, who spends a large portion of his free time with fellow veterans at The Goodie Shoppe, was humbled by the outpouring of support at a special ceremony given in his honor in front of Town Hall on Thursday, June 24.

Sara Risko, Red’s granddaughter, nominated him for the award, given the breadth of his involvement  in giving back to the community. Shaped by his experience fighting in the Korean War, Red was intentional in his efforts to “give back” upon returning home from the war. He said, “everything I have done in New Fairfield was for my brother who was killed in Korea.” Quietly working for decades to better the community, Red says that with the award, “I feel like someone noticed what I was doing,” adding that his favorite project to contribute to was building the Veterans Memorial Green. Sara went on to say, “he is best known, perhaps, for over 30 years of cleaning the town’s green: planting flowers, trimming trees, cleaning garbage. He volunteered doing this no matter what he had going on until he was hospitalized with Lyme disease during the pandemic.” Though he “retired” from this work, he still “cleans up and occasionally trims a couple branches here and there.” At home, Red says that he also greatly enjoys gardening.

Sara explained, “During his youth as a New Fairfield resident, he helped, with the other gentlemen no longer with us, to start the town’s first ever baseball team!” In addition, she proudly added, “he spent years marching in parades, fundraising, and cleaning up for groups at the Senior Center.”

Sara shared that after her grandmother died young, and once Red retired from his lengthy employment with the city of Danbury, he doubled-down on efforts and “has been helping others ever since.” Extremely thoughtful, she said “he thinks of the many people he knows, bringing them small gifts he finds in his home or out and about.” Herself an avid volunteer, Sara says, “My grandfather has inspired the work I do with food pantries along with my many years of volunteer work. He is the embodiment of a hero.”

In its ninth year, the CSC’s Town Hero Award was originally created following the massive May 2018 microburst storm, from which countless heroes emerged. Nominations for the award are accepted through mid-May each year. CSC board members ultimately determine who will receive the Award. The CSC has worked to help the community since 1983. They orchestrate the Kids Dress for Success program, providing back-to-school clothes for children.  They also offer Amber Alert registration, NFHS scholarships, and support to NF Social Services, the Senior Center, and dozens of other community service projects and fundraising recipients.