Senior center honors volunteers

The Scurry County Senior Citizens Center was all about celebration Friday evening as it hosted its 40th annual volunteer recognition banquet.
The event included dinner, a performance by musician Cathy Whitten and an awards ceremony to honor the top 15 volunteers with the most volunteer hours between May 2017 and April 2018.  
The top volunteers were David Frazier, 1,190 hours; Rosa Lee Crow, 1,050.5 hours; Anna Poe, 985.5 hours; Chris Brown, 516 hours; Veida Gage, 503 hours; Melissa Warren, 492.5 hours; Norma Callaway, 422 hours; Pauline Walton, 400 hours; Ruth Morrell, 394 hours; Susan Bills, 375.5 hours; Dorothy Lankford, 362 hours; Toby Wright, 357.5 hours; Tracy McBeth, 334.5 hours; Gayle Wittie, 333 hours; and James Wolf, 300 hours.
Over the past year, the center has had 99 volunteers, who collectively accumulated 16,657 volunteer hours.
Frazier said that he volunteers because he loves it.
“I come in the mornings and help set up the kitchen and deliver meals in the afternoon,” he said. “The senior center is my second home.”
Wright also enjoys serving at the senior center.
“I really enjoy being up here and helping older people,” he said. “It’s a blessing to come up here and help these people and get to know them. This gives me something to do.” 
Like Wright, many area senior citizens attend activities at the senior center for something to do.
“I just love the people here,” Jackie Baldwin said. “I live by myself, and coming up here is something to do every day.”
Baldwin said the annual volunteer banquet is an important part of the senior center.
“It’s for people getting awards and recognizes the hours they’ve volunteered,” she said. “That’s the main thing. I’ve been coming to the center for nine years, and I check people in at the desk every day when they come in.”
Also regularly attending senior center activities are Barney and Joan Tate.
“The senior center is important for fellowship and food and activities,” Joan Tate said. “Especially for the people that don’t cook, they can ride the bus here and get a meal.”
Barney Tate said the local senior center is a great place to go.
“I understand that this is one of the best centers around,” he said.
During the banquet, volunteers who moved up in a category for total number of volunteer hours accumulated since they began volunteering were also recognized.
In the 500-999 hours category were Bills, Vera Cain, Tracy McBeth, Betty Marroquin, Poe, Burr Sargent, Vonnie Wallace and Susie White.
In the 1,000-1,499 hours category were Jackie Baldwin, Carolyn Martin and Morrell.
In the 2,500-2,999 hours category were Linda Thompson and Wittie.
In the 3,000-3,499 hours category were Brown, Tommy Horsley and Wolf.
In the 4,000-4,499 hours category were Allie Beth Beauchamp and Frazier.
In the 5,000-5,499 hours category was Warren.
in the 6,500-6,999 hours category was Crow.
In the 8,500-8,999 hours category was Lankford.
In the 9,500-9,999 hours category were Roy Bennett and Walton.
In the 17,500-17,999 hours category was Gage.