The spotlight was turned on Prince George residents who normally give their time in the background as part of National Volunteer Week.
The past week was focused on celebrating the country's 12.5 million volunteers, who contribute about 2.1 billion hours of service per year, according to a Volunteer Prince George press release.
But the impact of those contributions goes beyond just the time and talent.
"Look at the 2015 Canada Winter Games, for example," said Volunteer P.G. president Steven Perison.
"The sense of pride and engagement we experienced from the volunteer efforts really left a lasting legacy."
On Tuesday, local resident Louis Dery was honoured in Victoria with a Public Safety Lifeline Volunteer award for his work with B.C.'s Provincial Emergency Program Air - a volunteer aviation association that promotes safety and provides air search support to the national search and rescue program.
On Thursday night, attention shifted to some of the city's youngest volunteers. Volunteer P.G. handed out their Random Act of Service youth volunteer awards to 48 young people between the ages of 12 and 20.
"The most recent survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating done by Stats Canada tells us that youth age 15-19 have the highest rate of volunteering at 66 per cent, said Volunteer P.G. program manager Jo Nore. "While not giving the most hours, these youth are well on their way to being the valued volunteers for tomorrow."
