At 95 years of age and known as "the king of the volunteers", Reginald Morley was a worthy winner of this year's Wodonga volunteer of the year award.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He has been volunteering for a massive 70 years, including 36 years as part of the Rotary Club, raising thousands of dollars for bushfire and flood victims and working with the Wodonga Men's Shed.
"I'm a very proud person today. I feel a little bit like Scott Morrison did last Saturday, only slightly," he said as he accepted his award at Wodonga's sixth annual volunteer fair on Saturday.
Mr Morley is still an active volunteer in the city, where he has been a court support worker for more than 20 years and plays old music for the residents at Westmont Aged Care.
"To be able to sit there watching them tap their feet is wonderful," he told The Border Mail.
"I loved volunteering, I can't say that I was pushed into it."
The main award was named after, and presented by, long-time Wodinga Rotary volunteer Bryan Watson.
Mr Watson has a proud history of volunteering at St Augustine's Primary School for nine years, Wodonga Rotary Club for 48 years and St Vincent de Paul for more than 20 years, plus has provided accommodation at his home over the years for 24 La Trobe students who had nowhere else to stay.
The team award at the volunteer fair went to Friends of Willow Park, which had members dedicate about 150 hours of work so far in 2019 at the park.
The people's choice awards went to the Wodonga Koori Youth Network Planning Committee as the best team and Wodonga Softball Club coach Keith Quinn as the best individual.
"It's been a rocky time sometimes, but I've thoroughly enjoyed it," Mr Quinn said.
"I don't do it for myself. I do it for my family, I do it for the kids and particularly the parents and players."
The fair's awards ceremony was hosted by Wodonga councillor John Watson, who said it was a day to recognise all the city's volunteers.
"As a council, as a community, as a city and as a nation, we really appreciate the volunteers," he said.
"We all know we've been volunteering all our lives ever since white man settled in Australia."
Those who attended the fair also explored the stalls and talked first-hand with other volunteers.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up here