This year's awardees: Ms. Laila Donawa, youth category, Ms. Anita Kazmierczak, retiree category, Mr. Ha, Byung Jae, Korea National Category, MAJ Paul N. Hester, Active Duty Category and Ms. Erica Manning, Family Member category and also was honored as the Volunteer of the Year for the Area Ⅳ community.

"I was no more deserving than any other nominees, so many volunteers in this community and we all have given so much and make so many sacrifices so we can volunteer," said Erica Manning, AREA IV Volunteer of the Year.

This year's awardees whose volunteer service truly embodies the theme for the evening, "Army Volunteers lifting spirits, touching lives…changing the world."

"Volunteering in the Army is a long standing tradition and a defining part of the American experience," said Col. Ted Stephens, United States Army Garrison Daegu commander. "Our volunteers are the heart of our communities, and here in Area Ⅳ, we have a thriving volunteer force of just over 700 registered volunteers."

"The Annual Installation Volunteer Award Ceremony is the opportunity once year for the garrison commander to thank all the volunteers that do so much in our community on a day-to-day basis," said Tracy Clark, ACS volunteer coordinator. "Our volunteers work with children, as youth sports coaches, volunteer as swim coaches, things like that. We also have volunteers at the USO who work with the Love and Hope Orphanage. We have volunteers everywhere here at Army Community Service, it is the one time a year that we choose to thank our volunteers for all of their hard work."

Volunteers were officially recognized in the Army with establishment of Army Community Service in 1965. The ACS staff consisted of a minimal paid staff and a corps of volunteers to provide the programs and services.

"So one of the things I do is that I add up all the volunteers' hours and then I present a check to Col. Stephens to show him how much the volunteers here in Area Ⅳ save him every year by choosing to volunteer," said Clark. "It normally ends up being like seven or eight hundred thousand dollars that are saved by volunteer service.

This year's check was for more than $751 trillion dollars.

Ms. Manning, the family member and Area IV Volunteer of the Year, is founder the Area Ⅳ Praise Dance Team which performs at chapel services and in the Korean community. She also spends her time mentoring the minds and spirits of our Area Ⅳ children. She serves as the membership chair for the Daegu Civilian & Spouses Club and volunteers with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

"The most memorable experience for me volunteering was working with the youth to prepare for Christmas Cantina," said Manning. "It was exhausting but then when I saw the smile on the kid's face when they we ministering during the Christmas Cantina it just touched my heart. It is truly unforgettable, but the balancing my personal and work life and volunteering is hard. I think that's the hardest thing for everybody. I'm not always there to cook dinners, sometimes my kids have to have fast food, it is a big sacrifice. Nevertheless, what makes me volunteer, I will have to say 'I enjoy it'. I get personal sense of pride when I am giving my time to others. I feel like God has blessed me with the talent which is the dance, and for me not to give back a small piece of that, what kind of person would I be? Lastly, I do have a quote that I always live by. 'I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything but I can do something. And all the things I can do, I shall do by the grace of God'".

Volunteer service greatly enhances the lives of the area Ⅳ community members and reflects great credit upon volunteers.