Kelly Hertz/P&D

Volunteer Of The Year

 

At a reception honoring Yankton-area volunteers, Diana Roth was named Yankton’s  2012 Volunteer of the Year Monday night. Roth has volunteered making quilts for her church, at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, with RSVP and reading at area schools. She said she volunteers “because I love it.”

Volunteers from around Yankton gathered at Mount Marty College Monday night for a reception that honored volunteers and announced the 2012 volunteer of the year.

This year’s winner is Diana Roth.

“She taught at Yankton School District (YSD) for more than 20 years,” said Lauren Hanson, executive director for the Yankton-area United Way and Volunteer Services. “She’s volunteered with RSVP, at schools, the hospital and by making quilts for her church.”

Roth said she was in shock when she found out she’d be honored with the award.

“There are so many other deserving people here today who could have won the award,” she told the audience. “I’m honored and I volunteer because I love it.”

Roth added that she enjoys the people she’s met over the years that she’s volunteered, and she said it’s something new every day.

“Words cannot describe how honored I am to be recognized, but I don’t volunteer for the recognition,” she said.

Roth added that she volunteers because it’s rewarding and there is something for everyone.

“I volunteer because I love it,” she said. “Not only that, but I also don’t like to clean house.”

Hanson said Roth deserved the award, and said she’s excited that Roth was honored.

The event featured wine and light food, door prizes and honored each of the volunteers of the month chosen during 2012.

“We invite volunteers to the event and thank them for the work they do,” Hanson said. “We need to recognize the importance of volunteers for the community because they help keep a lot of programs here stabilized.”

She added that she was delighted that so many volunteers showed up to the event and said it’s an honor to be able to thank them for the work they do.

“I know the community appreciates the effort from the volunteers here,” Hanson said. “They deserve to feel appreciated and to have a good time at this event, which is all about them.”

Jody Roose, development and administrative coordinator for the Yankton United Way, said volunteers are “everything to us.”

“The volunteers here today put in about 14,000 volunteer hours annually,” she said. “A lot of agencies in Yankton would not exist without volunteers.”

Mayor Nancy Wenande said she’s grateful for the volunteers who serve in the community.

“Yankton has a great reputation for getting projects done,” she said. “A lot of these projects wouldn’t come to fruition without the efforts of volunteers. They see the needs we have and are not afraid to step up and volunteer to make things happen.”

Wenande added that a lot of events that benefit area businesses — including banquets, Riverboat Days and RibFest — are not possible without volunteers in the community.

“Ninety percent of the events that benefit community businesses are volunteer-driven,” she said. “Volunteers are the people who make things happen.”

Roose said she couldn’t imagine what Yankton would be like without the leadership of volunteers in the community.

“I think Yankton would be a pretty bleak place without the people who forego there own time to help out,” she said. “The volunteer leaders here help out the community in countless ways.”

Other volunteers of the month honored at the reception included:

• Wenande for her work with the Boys and Girls Club;

• Healthy Yankton;

• AARP Tax Aides;

• Jane Miller for volunteering at the Avera Hospice;

• YALC Volunteers;

• Stan Hrouda for volunteering at The Contact Center;

• Mary Crawford for her work volunteering at The Center;

• Arlene Kathan for volunteering at the Heartland Humane Society;

• Jane Pugh for volunteering at The Contact Center;

• and Ken and Jacque Kahler for volunteering with the Red Cross.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal