Eight hundred. That's how many hours Staff Sgt. Odum Smith and his family volunteered since September. That effort earned Smith, of 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat team, 1st Infantry Division, the volunteer of the year award in a ceremony April 14.
The award included a $300 Army and Air Force Exchange Service gift card and Briggs Automotive, a local car dealership, gave the use of a car for 30 days or one-thousand miles.
The Smith family members volunteer across the state and for more than one organization.
From Kansas City to Wichita and everywhere in between, Staff Sgt. Smith said there is hardly a place he won't go to offer his help.
"I even did an event when I was in school in Mississippi," said Smith. "We also volunteer at events like Spartan races, Tough Mudder, whatever we can, as long as we can get approval for it from my command. We go there and we do what is needed."
Three key players in Smith's volunteering team include his wife and children, ages 1 and 3. Smith said teaching his children to volunteer at a young age instills good morals and ethics.
"I think it inspires them and gives them an overall view on the world when you start them young," he said. "It gives them some morals and ethics to go off of that are inspirational to everyone around them and the environment that they are in."
Smith said they try to do the best they can with the time they have available. He includes his free time on weekends and holidays but credits his command for letting him have extra time for volunteer activities.
"They back me with everything; it's all a team effort," said Smith.
Of all the places and events Smith has volunteered, Mercy Hospital is his favorite.
He said they never know what illness the children suffer but that isn't important. What matters is just helping them be kids.
"… we know what the hospital is for," said Smith. "It's for sick kids -- some of them terminal, some of them have severe injuries … We just go there and we have a good time with the kids. We play with them. We make parachute launchers for them. It's pretty inspirational."
For information on volunteer opportunities at Fort Riley, call the installation volunteer coordinator at 785-239-4593 or 785-239-9435.
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