Of volunteers and auxiliaries

Maybe you saw the photo of the first baby born in the Mid-Columbia in 2012 with a story about some gift baskets. The story mentions Kennewick General Hospital's Auxiliary.

But we didn't write about the additional volunteers who staff the gift shops and the information desks at all Tri-City Hospitals. These people work without pay. We appreciate their devotion to service.

Auxiliary members, who are sometimes also on the volunteer staff, work behind the scenes to raise money and assist patients. They make pillows and quilts and baby hats and the list goes on and on.

Hospital volunteers and auxiliary members all deserve gratitude.

Service is its own reward. It's a type of feel-good addiction.

Volunteers don't give of their time and talents so that they can get a little ink in the newspaper on New Year's Day, but we appreciate their efforts throughout the year.

DUI arrests down

And while we're talking about stories we didn't see, there was a biggie we all missed on New Year's Day -- thankfully. It was about a DUI fatality.

We missed the story because there wasn't one to write. No fatality this year. And the arrests for DUIs were down as well.

Maybe people are finally getting the message. We hope so -- just not as a text message when they're behind the wheel.

Helping the helpers

Anyone who has remodeled their kitchen knows what a headache it can be to be without a place to prepare food for your family for a week or two.

What if your family was the Union Gospel Mission and you had more than 100 people coming to dinner?

Yikes!

The First Presbyterian Church in Kennewick is letting the mission use its kitchen. With the church and the mission on two different sides of the river, there's going to be some logistics involved. But it's a nice gesture.

Thanks to William Charles West for making it happen.

Lottery winner

What would you do with $10,000? Truthfully, it won't go far, especially after taxes, but Robert Heffley is going to share his prize with the folks he bought the ticket from.

We have to wonder how many people would have thought of that? That is, besides the people that saw the movie It Could Happen to You.

Beloved and bright

Abi Hamlin has made the Thankful Thursday page before. We're happy to see her here again.

She's been fighting cancer. She's brought out the best in high school athletes, both those on her team and on the rival teams.

In fact, she's brought hope to everyone who has read her story, athlete or not.