In case you missed our Community Resource Directory in last weekend’s edition, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and the Lake Placid News named two Volunteers of the Year for 2022: Rich and Debby Harrison of Rainbow Lake.

The couple was nominated by Janice Fitzgerald, who said the Harrisons are “a team who put service above self.”

“Without fanfare, Rich and Deb Harrison show up and step up to help where needed,” she wrote.

The fruits of the Harrisons’ labor is seen all around this community. Carol Lamb, who lives down the street from the couple, said the Pisgah Candy Bar races wouldn’t happen without them — they’re the main organizers now. The Harrisons have volunteered to help run the New York Ski Educational Foundation races at Whiteface, the 90-Miler and St. Regis Canoe Classic races. Debby has been a longtime member of the Lawn Chair Ladies, a Winter Carnival Gala Parade staple. At the start of the pandemic, Debby and her neighbors helped make masks from sewing supplies. The couple volunteers at their church, organizes games of pickleball, helps organize class reunions, donates Christmas gifts to the Holiday Helpers each year, and volunteered to help give out food during the pandemic.

Rich told us that he and his wife just “have a lot of time to spend,” since they’re retired now. He said that volunteering and helping friends is better than watching television.

At the end of the day, a lot of us have time to spare. Not everyone chooses to use their time to help others and make their community a better place to live. The Harrisons are special, kind-hearted, generous people. They are inspirations who are more than deserving of this recognition.

The Harrisons are far from the only extraordinary volunteers in the Tri-Lakes area. Our staff had a lot of nominees to choose from, as we do every year, going back to when we started this award in 1991.

This year, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and Lake Placid News are proud to feature the Harrisons as our 2022 Volunteers of the Year. Anyone interested in reading our story about the Harrisons can still pick up this year’s Community Resource Directory — it’s available for free at our office at 54 Broadway in Saranac Lake.