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Photo by Sam Harrel

Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, young and old, with diverse talents and abilities, as was evident at the 10th Annual Flint Hills Resources Golden Heart Awards on Wednesday evening.

A decade of honoring these local, unsung heroes — the everyday people who work quietly throughout the community providing helpful services and human kindness — has never been a chore for Jeri Wigdahl of Flint Hills, who organizes the evening each year.

“It is my favorite event,” Wigdahl said. “It is a great way of recognizing those in the community who are making such a difference in the community.”

The many volunteers were honored with a buffet of hors d’oeuvres and the reading of their individual and group achievements. Seven were selected as finalists and winners from the various categories that included adult, youth, group and education achievements.

Volunteer category winners received $1,000 for their organizations. Winners and their categories — Youth: Chloe Leach, North Star Youth Court; Adult: Tammie Wilson, Love INC; Group: North Star Volunteer Fire Department and Education: Denise Taylor, Fairbanks Montessori School.

Volunteer finalist winners receiving $500 for their organizations were: Youth: Daniel Byrd; Adult: Bob Parr, FRA Adult Care Center; Group: Charlie Hunt and Nancy Bayer.

Chloe Leach, a freshman at West Valley High School, has been volunteering as a youth mediator at North Star Youth Court for three years.

“I think it’s a really good program; I have a lot of friends there, and I have seen a lot of the good it has done, too,” said Leach, who is described as “a natural peacemaker.”

Volunteers put in long hours for a favorite charity, public service program or social service agency in a variety of ways.

For over a year, Bob Parr has volunteered at FRA’s Adult Day Center and its art program, providing seniors with Alzheimer’s and adults with significant developmental disabilities the opportunity to hear and experience rhythmic drumming.

Charlie Hunt and Nancy Bayer of Big Brothers and Big Sisters have been mentors to Ben since 1998, providing a positive influence for him and his mother.

Denise Taylor has spent countless hours as an active volunteer at Fairbanks Montessori School painting, quilting and fundraising since 2002, and also volunteers in her older children’s elementary school. She has served as volunteer coordinator, board member and Japanese language tutoring coordinator with the Itadori/North Pole City cultural exchange for the past 15 years.

As a Love INC volunteer for the past three years, Tammie Wilson has stayed on seeing to clients’ needs and assisting with reorganization during a tumultuous time when the faith-based organization went into a crisis mode.

Daniel Byrd volunteers over 30 hours a month to adjudicate misdemeanor-level juvenile offenders, and serves as a clerk, attorney, judge and mediates in diversion programs.

And none of the aforementioned or the winners of the group division — the North Star Volunteer Fire Department — receive monetary compensation for the work.

“Their reward is service,” said NSVFD Fire Chief Jeff Tucker.

“In today’s age to have people give so much by volunteering, is pretty special,” Tucker added.

Unfortunately, Tula Belton, a longtime volunteer who put in long hours at Ice Alaska, was not in attendance. Belton died in her sleep in March, but was remembered at the event for her 16 years of service and good works — not only for Ice Alaska, but other community organizations.

This year for the first time, each nominee also received a copy of a letter printed on White House stationery, from President George W. Bush, and a President’s Volunteer Service Award lapel pin for their efforts.

The letter congratulated the volunteers for answering a call for volunteers the president made in 2002, asking all Americans “to dedicate at least two years, or 4,000 hours, over the course of their lives to serve others at home or abroad.”

Anyone interested in local volunteer opportunities can call United Way at 474-7211, ext. 23.