Several Washington County residents were recognized at the County Board meeting last week for their volunteerism. A committee of previous award recipients and representatives of Community Thread and Washington County determined this year's winners.

Legacy Award: Deanna Skoug

The Legacy Award honors a deceased volunteer who left an identifiable legacy. Skoug was known as "the volunteer extraordinaire." At First United Methodist Church, she taught Sunday school, coordinated funeral arrangements, led Bible study, coordinated ladies circle and visited isolated seniors.

Skoug became a volunteer at Community Thread in 1978 and continued to serve there until her death in 2012, contributing more than 26,000 volunteer hours.

Lifetime Volunteer Award: Larry and Pam Hall

As a child, Pam set aside part of her allowance for weekly church offerings. Larry was the youngest person to serve on his church council. When Larry was stationed in Saigon during the Vietnam War, Pam organized church members to collect clothing and necessities to send to him for distribution at the orphanages. For more than 10 years Larry has been a Salvation Army bell ringer. Pam has volunteered at Feed My Starving Children. They also encourage volunteering as owners of Logistics Planning Services in Woodbury.

Outstanding Volunteer Award: Trudee Watson

Watson has volunteered at the Clothing Closet at Valley Outreach for the past four years. She helps clients with finding appropriate clothing. Her volunteerism started in elementary school when she became a candy striper at Greeley Nursing Home, where her grandmother lived.

She helps with Valley Outreach fundraisers and special clothing drives, and has volunteered at Community Thread, St. Paul Lutheran Church and Ministering Angels Closet.

Commissioner Gary Kriesel with Trudee Watson, winner of the Outstanding Volunteer award.

Group Volunteer Award: Tutor Team Volunteers, Solid Ground

Founded in 1989, Solid Ground uses a holistic approach to help families emerge from homelessness. The Learning and Enrichment after-school tutor program works with K-8 students to improve reading, writing and math skills. About 50 volunteers help 30 students two to three hours each week.

Youth Volunteer Award: Olive, Xavier and Eliza Weston

Olive, 14, Xavier, 12, and Eliza, 10, are regular volunteers at Our Community Kitchen at Ascension Episcopal Church in Stillwater. They set tables, stir oatmeal, shred cheese and flip pancakes. They also do food donation pickups at Rivertown Co-Op and unload fresh food at Ascension Church.

The Weston children and their mom, Laura, volunteer at a community-supported agriculture garden. The children plant, water and weed gardens and help deliver boxes of produce each week to Our Community Kitchen. Olive is a ninth-grader at Stillwater Junior High School. Xavier and Eliza are students at Marine Elementary School.

Kevin Giles