"Thank you. I'm sure there were others more deserving than me, but I am honored to receive the award," Ansel Walters, who received the Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce Award at the banquet in 2015, said.
To the question about what organizations he volunteers for and what jobs he does, he created a list, which is replicated here.
The first group for which he volunteers is the Silver City Lions Club. During the three months of the Farmers' Market, he organizes and cooks breakfast from 6 a.m. to noon, every Saturday.
He directed the Lions' Club building remodel, and he performs all the maintenance on the building, which is located on the north side of the Farmers' Market area.
Walters organizes and works for the rehydration trailer for the Tour of the Gila Bicycle Race-Wednesday at Mogollon, Thursday at Fort Bayard and Sunday at Pinos Altos, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each of the three days.
"I am the representative of the Tyrone Cub Scout Troops, which the Lions Club sponsor," Walters said.
He is past president of the Lions Club, was head of the committee to give out $400,000 to non-profits, and serves on the committee for the Fourth of July Parade and the Christmas Parade to line up the floats and other entries.
For the Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society, Walters does maintenance on the museum, heads up public service projects done at the Fort Bayard Medical Center Rehabilitation Wing, specifically on Thursdays, when he works with the clients. That day he also works at Fort Bayard on maintenance, but that has been curtailed until the old FBMC is taken down.
Walters refinishes and restores the historic furniture donated to the museum, is the treasurer of the society for the past four years, and gives tours on Saturdays at the Fort Bayard site, as well as helping Cecilia Bell with the functions held at the fort.
With the Fort Bayard Restoration and Development Coalition, he served as a past president and treasurer, completed and filed the paperwork for the 501c3 non-profit designation, and works with Santa Clara Mayor Richard Bauch to take ownership or lease of Fort Bayard.
For the Silver City Rolling Stones Gem and Mineral Society, he has served as field trip director for the past four years, heads up the set up and take down of the annual Gem Show, organizes the kitchen and cooks at the Gem Show and is a director on the Board of Directors.
Walters also serves on the Board of Directors of the Silver City 49ers Prospectors Club.
Why does he do all this volunteering? "I have fun doing this, and I do think it makes our community better."
As for an average day, he doesn't really have one, but said: "These projects are easy once you get the routine down. Most of them are one to five days and you're done."
"I have dozens and dozens of people who help me," Walters said. "Most of the projects require six to 20 people to complete. These folks are extremely important or none of this could be done."
As for his future plans for volunteer work, "I will do the same as I have done for years. It's fun and rewarding to give back to our community. Plus you get to meet a lot of terrific people," Walters said.
He said he doesn't care what his legacy will be.