Fayetteville, Ga. (December 12, 2018) - Marie Carr, 91, and Tommy Thomas, 92, started volunteering as members of the Piedmont Fayette Hospital Auxiliary in September of 1997. At the Auxiliary’s winter meeting and celebration, an event that also marked one million hours of service from the organization, the pair were honored as winners of The Spirit of Volunteerism Award. Together, they have volunteered more than 7,000 hours at Piedmont Fayette.
“All of our nominees for this award this year are dependable, helpful and professional ambassadors of Piedmont Fayette,” said Bob Napoli, president of the auxiliary. “We are especially proud to present the Spirit of Volunteerism Award to two charter members who represent the hospital and its values so well.”
Carr is a volunteer in the hospital’s heart catheterization lab. She was nominated by several staff members in that department for being passionate about the hospital and its success and for being an asset to the department, its patients and visitors. Carr has volunteered 2,239 hours since 1997.
“It’s such a surprise,” Carr said of winning the award. “It is my pleasure to volunteer.”
Thomas, nominated by his colleagues, has served in surgical services and currently volunteers at the hospital’s East Information Desk. He is a warm and welcoming presence to all visitors and always thanks service members for their service when they visit the hospital. Thomas has volunteered 4,766 hours since 1997.
“There’s a whole lot of people who deserve this award more,” Thomas said. “I appreciate everyone and I love you all.”
As of Nov. 30, 2018, the Piedmont Fayette Auxiliary had contributed 1,011,049 hours of service to the hospital. The hours that Carr, Thomas and the nearly 200 fellow active volunteers have given to the hospital have made a tremendous impact on Piedmont Fayette’s patients, visitors, physicians, nurses and staff members.
“Before we ever coined the phrase, the Piedmont Fayette Auxiliary made a positive difference in every life they touched,” said Piedmont Fayette’s CEO Michael Burnett at the event. “You serve as tremendous examples of how people should care for others, in the hospital and in the community.”