Irene Lamb and Harry Gammon have several things in common.
They're both full of energy and smiles.They love people.
And each has been named "Volunteer of the Year" by the Utah Association of HealthCare Auxiliary and Volunteers - Lamb for hospitals with more than 100 beds, Gammon for smaller hospitals - giving Utah County the distinction of having both honorees within its boundaries.
Neither one really likes the accompanying fuss and publicity.
"I just love to help people," said Gammon, who's been described as the volunteer with eight arms because he can bring a patient, oxygen and an intravenous unit down the hall all at the same time.
When he's not wheeling in patients back and forth for their X-rays in the American Fork Hospital imaging department, he's working at the Provo LDS Temple and the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple or making balls of yarn for Humanitarian Services.
He cares for his wife, Beth, who's ill, and sings in the Utah Valley Skyline Barbershop Chorus.
"If I have any time left, I do gardening," said Gammon. "I can't just sit down and relax."
Lamb describes herself as "blessed with quite a bit of energy," evidenced by her tireless service over the past 16 years at Columbia Mountain View Hospital in Payson.
During that time she's overseen the operation of the gift shop, using the proceeds to fund the purchase of stuffed animals and candy for every child in the emergency room and silver spoons for new-borns.
She's organized volunteer pro-jects that include creating knitted bereavement shawls for families who've lost an infant, Christmas buntings for December newborns to "wear" home, and baby quilts for monthly drawings.
She was instrumental in coming up with microwave corn bags for patients who need some warmth and comfort on a intravenous site. She started the volunteers making "cough pillows" for surgical patients to hold against their stomachs when coughing is still difficult and painful.
She's most proud of her "Lights of Love" tree. For $5, visitors and patients can simultaneously place a light on a Christmas tree in the lobby and send a card of appreciation to a loved one. The money collected then goes to support the hospital's Sub-for-Santa effort.
For Lamb, the "Lights of Love" tree brings back memories of the Christmas when she and her brothers and sisters lost their father during the Depression. Their mother was critically injured and funds were stretched to care for her and the little family.
Employees pooled their money for candy and children from the local schools brought their nickels and dimes to buy toys for Lamb and her siblings.
She was 4 at the time and unaware of how close she came to missing Christmas. But she's never forgotten how it felt to be remembered by strangers.
"I've really tried since to repay the goodness of people," she said.Lamb.
Gammon's attitude is much the same. A retired mail carrier, he can't imagine just taking it easy.
"He's the kind every hospital director and administrator dreams of. He cares about people," said Carol Ann Durfey, director of volunteers at American Fork. "He's the type who looks for something to do when he's not busy so he's always busy."
He files. He reloads film. He'll make minor repairs to storage folders. He bags nuts for the annual Christmas Boutique. He even showed up one day to help quilt with the Pink Ladies.
"Most of our volunteers do this solely for the intrinsic rewards," said Keith Alexander, administrator of the American Fork Hospital.