Four hours round trip from Mackenzie to Prince George twice a week without fail. Check.
Seven hour shift once she arrives safely, rain or shine, snow or sleet, black ice or fog. Check.
Baking 100 cookies every other week to bring with her as treats for not only patients but staff. Check. Check and double chocolate chip check.
Lynda Murdick is the extraordinary volunteer that during the last three years has contributed 1,741.9 volunteer hours to the Cancer Centre for the North just because she can.
"This is just the type of person I am," said Murdick. "I volunteered in a Kindergarten class at Mackenzie elementary for 11 years and I thought it was time to move on from that and I was looking on my computer one day and saw the Cancer Centre was looking for volunteers and I thought I would just love to do that."
So she did.
"And it's just fantastic," said Murdick, whose volunteer vest she wears while on duty is filled with angel pins and other sunshiny things reflecting her cheery disposition. "It's just such a nice place to volunteer - the people I've met, the friends I've made - it's just unbelievable. You wouldn't think it was like that here but it is and I just love it."
Murdick is the happy handler of all treats at the Garden Cafe, offering coffee, tea and snacks to patients, their families and staff.
To make their day a little brighter, Murdick, who is very handy with a crochet needle, makes creative coffee cozies for anyone who wishes to wrap one around their mug.
Murdick also volunteers her time in the Cancer Information Centre Library, helping staff, patients, and their friends and family find information.
"And she offers companionship to everybody who wants to chat with her," chimes in Kim Feragen, volunteer coordinator at the local cancer centre. "And she brings a great sense of humour along with her every time she volunteers here."
Murdick, who stayed home with her three children and now has five grandchildren to dote on, can't seem to find the words to explain why she does what she does.
"My husband and I are just like that and I can't see how anyone can be any other way - we like to make people happy," she said, with a little shrug.
There was one aspect of volunteering for the Cancer Centre that surprised Murdick when she first started.
"Everyone is just so happy here," said Murdick. "I've never had a patient be angry with me ever - which I think is a miracle. Staff is awesome and everyone appreciates you and it's just really nice."
As the staff and other volunteers watched Murdick bring in homemade cookie batches of 100 at a time, they realized the cost must be adding up so last year they surprised her with a gift.
"We bought her baking supplies," said Feragen.
"It was a great big cartful of baking supplies," said Murdick. "It was unbelievable. My husband had to build a whole new shelf to make it all fit in the house."
Murdick was quick to try to deflect credit to all the volunteers at the Cancer Centre for the North that makes it such a special place to be.
"Please mention all the volunteers here," said Murdick.
"All the volunteers here are amazing at the cancer centre," said Feragen, obligingly. "Everybody goes out of their way to give their time."
As a further fundraiser for the Cancer Centre, staff and volunteers will put together a recipe book featuring Murdick's wonderful cookie recipes so everyone can enjoy the treats she so generously shares so often.
The book will be published and ready for sale beginning in November, just in time for Christmas.
Flip through The Citizen's Volunteer City series, featuring stand-out volunteers in Prince George:
