WILTON – A cash award given to volunteers for “unselfishly making a difference in the lives of others” will continue giving, as the prize was donated to local food pantries.

Shannon Smith, a local winner of one of this year’s 6 Who Care Awards, a program sponsored by WCSH 6 television that honors “the quiet heroes or volunteers” within communities, has chosen to donate her cash award to three food pantries.

The $600 award given to winners to donate to the charity of their choice will help food pantries in Farmington, Jay-Livermore, Livermore Falls and Wilton.

“Each has received $200 and they can go to the Good Shepherd Food-Bank and get $2,500 worth of food. I was able to turn $600 into $7,500, and many families will be helped out,” Smith told an audience at the awards presentation. For every dollar spent at Good Shepherd, the food banks receive $12.50 worth of food items, she said.

Smith was nominated for the award by Lorna Nichols, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, state Rep. Tom Saviello, and Chandler Woodcock.

Nichols asked people who know her well and support her efforts to join her in the nomination for not only Smith’s work on the Blueberry Festival but “all her volunteer work,” Nichols said Tuesday.

Smith was nominated for her work with the Emblem Club, Franklin Memorial Hospital, the elderly, Mt. Blue Craft Fair for the junior/senior class, town committees and the chamber … just “so many things,” she said.

“She’s always doing something twenty-four-seven. She’s not a 9-to-5 person. If she knows of a need, she takes responsibility and makes whatever needs to be done, happen,” Nichols said.

Smith described her work as “teamwork” during her award night speech as she thanked everyone from her husband to civic groups, family and friends for their support and her ability “to pick up the phone and ask for help and it is there,” she said.

“I like being behind the scene getting the job done. I could never do what I do without all those sponsors in the community. They just ask what hat am I wearing today and give me money,” she said.

Smith invited everyone to the 27th Wilton Blueberry Festival planned for Aug. 7 and 8 of 2009 and issued a special invitation to award hosts and News Center anchors Pat Callaghan and Cindy Williams to serve as judges for the festival’s parade, she said.