National Volunteer Week is traditionally celebrated in mid to late April, so at this time of year, all of us Volunteer Coordinators are busy planning a celebration of some sort for our volunteers.

This is one of the few chances we get each year to bring a large group of our volunteers together to say THANK YOU! Thank you for the 9,000+ hours you donated in 2009; thank you for your time, sharing your skills, your smiles, your support in so many ways!

I cannot fathom the museum without our many many volunteers (about 60-70 are regular, coming in weekly or biweekly; and another 200 or so help with events or sporadically throughout the year). We are also lucky to have a wonderfully diverse group with ages ranging from about 6 years of age - 90 years old! We have students, people who are retired, and people who are working every day. We have people from all over the world and people with many many skills who don't want to use those skills here, they want to try something new; as well as people who are working on building their skills and experience.

To each and every Galt volunteer, THANK YOU for making the museum and archives what it is today. From those first volunteers who started up the museum, to the ones who we see once/year at their favourite event - you all are so important in the history of this museum, and in preserving and sharing the history of our region.

I hope to see you all (even if we haven't seen you for a few years!) at our volunteer party in April - RSVP to Lori if you can come.