GLAD Pye and Jean Bates received this year's Premier's Award for Active Citizenship at a lunch celebrating the efforts of local volunteers on Thursday.
The 400 volunteers from around Holroyd at the lunch had given 96,144 hours of service or 11 years of their time helping others.
Mrs Pye has volunteered at Merrylands Swimming Club since it opened in 1968. She said she enjoys volunteering because it gave
her a chance to give to the community.
"I can't believe I won this award," she said. "It's wonderful
to be acknowledged for something you love doing."
"When I volunteered at the Paralympics I had to escort athletes
to the winners’ podium and it was amazing to be a part of that.
I love what I do."
Mrs Bates, a cancer and emphysema sufferer, volunteers at the Merrylands Op Shop and sometimes takes the clothes home to wash and iron them. She has been working there for six years and said she loved it.
"When I work in the shop, I feel wanted and needed and I'll do it for as long as I can."
Mayor Mark Pigram said: "Volunteering reinforces the idea that people can make a difference. You come to realise the effort and selflessness of those who volunteer and it makes me feel proud to be part of this community."
FREE ENTERPRISE
Glad Pye, Volunteer of the Year