Fountain Hills may be a “small town” but, based on what we see at events like the recent volunteer reception, it’s populated by a large number of men, women and youngsters willing to give of their own time and resources in order to better the lives of others.

We would like to join the Town of Fountain Hills in saying congratulations to this year’s outstanding volunteers, including those who received special recognition during the April 6 reception and the countless others who did not.

One only needs thumb through any given issue of this very newspaper to see how big a part of Fountain Hills volunteerism has become. Every week you can find articles and letters organizing charitable events or thanking the individuals, clubs, businesses and organizations that make all of these fundraisers and projects such a huge success.

It’s clear that Fountain Hills has a big heart, and beating at the center of that heart are folks like the 2016 Volunteer of the Year, Jim Judge; folks who are willing to give of themselves in order to lift up others. Thank you, Jim, as well as the countless other local volunteers who worked tirelessly through the past 12 months to make the lives of others just a little bit brighter.