The Graponne Conference Center in Concord was the site of the Fifth Anniversary Celebration of the Spirit of New Hampshire Awards on November 7, 2007. Over 275 people gathered to honor outstanding contributions to volunteerism in the state. The event is hosted annually by Volunteer NH! in collaboration with office of Governor John Lynch. Governor Lynch presented 14 awards to New Hampshire citizens of all ages and from all regions of the state.

Recipients in the Volunteer Service Categories were:

Youth - Rachel Arnold (Milford), Adult - Paul Moore (Nashua) Senior - Helen Malay (Nashua) Adult Groups - Milford Ambulance Service Volunteers (Milford) and The Garden Volunteers of Canterbury Shaker Village Youth Group - The Community Garden Project (Hopkinton) Family - Ed and Karen Clark (Windham) and National Service - Matt Wilhelm (Stratham).

Additional recipients in the Volunteer Program Champions included:

Small Non-Profit - Groveton Regional Economic Action Team (GREAT), Large Non-Profit - NH Food Bank, Large Business - Bedford Wal Mart, Higher Education - UNH Community Leadership Program (Durham), and K- 12 School - Milford High School (Milford).

Helen Malay of Nashua, recipient of the Senior Volunteer Service Award, was additionally honored with the 2007 “Spirit of New Hampshire” Award presented to the one category recipient chosen by a peer review team as an outstanding example of New Hampshire’s spirit of service. Mrs. Malay is a long-time RSVP volunteer in Nashua and works with children at the Ledge Street School.

Tim Dupre, Executive Director of Volunteer NH! was the emcee of the program assisted by Lisa Peakes of New Hampshire Public Radio who announced award categories. Cathleen Schmidt, President of Citizens Bank in New Hampshire, assisted in presenting the final award of the evening on behalf of Citizens Bank Foundation – a major sponsor of the event. The evening also featured vocal performances by Mackenzie Robert, a Bedford High School student and Alyssa Dumas, a student at Central High School in Manchester.

Nominations for Spirit of New Hampshire Awards are accepted year-round by Volunteer NH! and people throughout the state are encouraged to nominate individuals and groups who contribute to their communities through volunteerism. Visit the Volunteer NH! website to obtain nomination forms, read about the 2007 nominees, view the picture gallery, and learn about other Volunteer NH! programs that support volunteerism statewide.