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Betty Adams named Volunteer of the Year  by Heather Murphy Public Relations Every Tuesday Betty Adams brightens the ambulatory surgery waiting room.  Volunteer of the Year, Betty Adams, receives congratulations from award presenter, Ann Edwards and last year's winner, Joe Horst. Eleven years now and she still gushes, “I’ve volunteered all over the hospital and this is my favorite. I love it. You meet so many nice and wonderful people.” According to the committee that selected this year’s MUSC Volunteer of the Year Award, Betty is pretty wonderful herself.  “Every year I ask if we can take them all,” said Ann Edwards, wife of MUSC President Emeritus James B. Edwards, DMD, and presenter of the award. “But I’m told, ‘I wish we could Ann, but we have to pick one.’ That’s not easy. The criteria for this award are very high and the recipient exemplifies someone who gives the most of themselves, has great integrity, empathy, compassion, and is a team player.”  Adams received the award at the 12th annual Volunteer Awards Banquet June 13. “I didn’t have a clue,” she said.  Adams shows up faithfully every Tuesday to help, as well as “whenever they need otherwise.” She’s a member of what Susanne Banks, manager of Volunteer Services, calls the “Tuesday group,” a collection of dynamic, motivated, giving, and gabby volunteers who are there for the patients and each other.  Now that Adams has won the award, what does she plan to do? “I’m going on a two-week vacation to Canada with my husband, Ned. Where it’s cool!”  Notorious for keeping the winner a secret until the night of the banquet, Banks and her staff organized an event filled with good-natured people, a catered buffet-style dinner, and social hour to thank the large number of volunteers who were in attendance.  Other recognitions during the event included The “Paws-A-Tively” volunteer awards presented by MUSC President Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., and his wife Leah and a video showing pictures of all of the volunteers. Last year’s winner of the Volunteer of the Year Award, Joe Horst, was in attendance to help honor Adams. The event was made possible by fundraisers including the Gold Coast Promotions jewelry sales, the Retail Concepts leather sale, the arts and crafts sales, bake sales, and the first-baby pictures program (soon to be Amazing Babies).