The United Way of Southwest Michigan has saluted volunteers from around the community with its recognition awards for the year. At an event Thursday night, United Way of Southwest Michigan President Anna Murphy announced the winner of the 2017 Margaret B. Upton Volunteer Leadership Award is Arden Pridgeon. He’s a 93-year-old World War II veteran who has worked for years with Lest We Forget. Pridgeon told WSJM News it’s simple why he serves.
“You get more out of it than they do,” Pridgeon said. “Once you reach my age, retirement…the older you are, the more that you get from volunteering. So, I guess I’ll have to keep going for a while.”
Pridgeon is also an active member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Joseph Lions Club, and the St. Joseph Senior Center. Anna Murphy told us the volunteers honored on Thursday are essential to the work of non-profits in the community.
“Volunteers are awesome,” Murphy said. “They’re the lifeblood of what we do. They come together, they’re full of heart, and they’re very giving.”
The other nominees for the Margaret B. Upton Award were Jerry Flenar, nominated by Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce, and Hilda Banyon, nominated by Caring Circle. The Sustaining Volunteer Award winners were Leslie Kroeze of Well of Grace Ministries, and Sue Willming of Gast Manufacturing. The Emerging Volunteer Award went to Debbie Schmidt, nominated by The Pokagon Fund.
