COEUR d'ALENE — Ten years ago, Anna Tofflemire received the first of two tragic blows when she lost her husband.

Five years later, her son — former Post Falls High football star and former Seattle Seahawk Joe Tofflemire — succumbed to heart failure at just 46 years old.

The longtime and retired Post Falls resident wanted an outlet after the passings. Something worthy of her time and energy. Something of the humanitarian ilk.

Helping the local food bank fit that bill, and Tofflemire has logged thousands of volunteer hours since opting to help out five years ago.

"It's kind of a recreation for me," she said. "It's been a way of doing something that has some value and also meeting a lot the people."

In a red-, white- and blue-themed banquet room Saturday at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn, hundreds of area volunteers like Tofflemire, members of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, were recognized at the group's annual volunteer appreciation luncheon.

In the luncheon's 18th year, an all-time high of more than 300 people were in attendance, a sizable portion being volunteers, each of whom gives ample time to such pursuits as tutoring, libraries, hospitals, police agencies and more.

Bob Small, the program's director who emceed the event, feels fortunate for the group's growth and dedication.

"Collectively, they've put in more than 89,000 hours of a volunteer service last year. So this (luncheon) is the only opportunity we get to thank as many as we can," Small said. "We can't (individually) thank them all since we had 559 volunteers, so the first 275 who made reservations were able to come."

Donning a red, white and blue visor, shorts and T-shirt, Small provided fun and witty commentary to an audience that also included members of the Post Falls Police Department. Chris Martin, vice president of business and finance at NIC, was the keynote speaker.

About $7,000 in prizes were given out at the event — the greatest amount since its inception — and six volunteers were honored for their outstanding service.

Joan Waters of the Lake City Center (13,842 volunteer hours; Corky Read of the Coeur d'Alene Police Department (10,647); Ed Eichwald of the Lake City Center & AARP (8,279); Pat Sims of Hospice Thrift Store (7,888); and Jackie Kirk (7,371) and Mary Button (7,403) of the Post Falls Police Department earned "extraordinary volunteer" distinction.

Read has been a volunteer since 1993, dating back to when he helped out a sheriff's department. He's been a volunteer in Coeur d'Alene since 2007 and enjoys donating his time.

"I think it's fantastic," Read said of the volunteer program. "I follow the hours real close and I encourage the guys in the cops program to turn in the hours, and that's strictly voluntary. It's giving back to the community."

Tofflemire has relished the experience.

"It's amazing to see how many people volunteer. Unless you get really into it, you really have no idea," she said.

Small has been in the program for seven years and has witnessed its growth, noting the volunteers are aged 55 to 102. Collectively, the active volunteers worked 69 worksites in the previous 12 months, with an economic impact of $1,875,526.

"Every year it just builds momentum," Small said. "When they first started these programs they would meet in a small restaurant because it might be eight or 10 volunteers. Every year it just keeps snowballing. The job they do is absolutely incredible."