One hundred and seventy people were served a roast beef dinner at the Senior Citizen Center during Tuesday's annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony.

Recognized at this gathering of volunteers were RSVP, SEMCAC the and United Way.

Duane Germaine of KAUS AM/FM Radio was the master of ceremonies and Paulette Anderson the Executive Director of the Mower County Senior Center welcomed all the guests. The theme for the gathering was Volunteers are the Sunshine of Our Lives. The Senior Center dining room was decorated with yellow table coverings and table settings had flower bouquets wrapped with yellow cellophane.

Anderson sang a song she dedicated to the volunteers to the tune of You Are the Sunshine of My Life.

Acknowledgements were given to all the volunteers by Mower County Sheriff Barry Simonson, Sharon Rustad, SEMCAC RSVP program director and Gerald Montgomery a member of the advisory council of Mower County RSVP.

Bruce Haartlett, the SEMCAC Executive Director, pointed out how necessary and important it was for these organizations to have volunteers. When an organization applies for funding, the amount of volunteer hours that organization compiles over the year is carefully looked at. Volunteers help organizations save money and are worth more than $13.90 an hour for each organization.

Members of the Kiwanis Club, Key Club and Sharon Bloomquist, the Senior Dining Site Manager served the meal. Mary Olson and her assistant Renee prepared the meal. Two elders of the Church of the Later Day Saints helped with the clean up.

Paulette Anderson was very pleased with how well the event went off.

"This is the first time all three groups were recognized at the same time. Flowers and quilts were given away at drawings we had during the evening," said Anderson.