FARMINGTON — Franklin Memorial Hospital’s Bass Room was the setting of a recognition celebration for the health network’s volunteers. The program included a social time and dinner, and entertainment by Doug and Sherry Walrath. All volunteers attending received gifts in recognition of their volunteer efforts, as well as pins and service bars.

The program was in memory of Debbie Cressall, Margaret Durdin, Donald Kennedy, Rita Porter and Kathyleen Pulkkinen, volunteers who have died since the last recognition. Collectively, they gave 9,470 hours of volunteer service to the program.

Rebecca Ryder, FCHN president/CEO of Franklin Community Health Network (FCHN), welcomed and thanked the group for their quality work and added, “It is a challenging, yet exciting time in health care. We are looking at reducing expenses and improving efficiency — all at the same time while making patient care better. You are vital to the success of this institution; we could not do any of this without your extraordinary support. So I’m using this opportunity to officially thank you for what you do every day. We could not survive without the people in this room.”

Special recognition was given to those who have contributed the greatest number of hours overall since joining the program. They included Doris Munson, Trudy Dawson, Alvin McDonald, Lawrence Wilbur, Eugene Martineau, Allen Smith, Rejeanne Paradis, Patricia Kilkenny, Belle Foss and Mary Hathaway. Each received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award certificate and pin and a letter from President Obama.

There are approximately 200 volunteers who help out in some 40 hospital departments and affiliated FCHN organizations, contributing more than 28,000 hours of service this past year.

Volunteers can be found greeting patients at the escort desk, parking cars, decorating for special functions, filing, processing orders in shipping and receiving and calling patients to remind them of their appointments.

Woodcock welcomes calls from anyone who might be interested in volunteering at Franklin Memorial Hospital. She may be reached at 779-2552.