Volunteer receives Lifetime Achievement Award

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

Mesquite resident Larry Wait received the 2023 AmeriCorps Presidential Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award signed by President Joe Biden. The award was presented at the Mesquite Volunteer Police Awards Banquet last month in the Casablanca Showroom to recognize Mesquite Volunteer Police and Virgin Valley Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members.

The prestigious award was given to Wait for the dedicated volunteer services he performed in his community. To be eligible one must have served 4,000 volunteered hours or more.

The Lifetime Achievement Award reads, “This is for lifelong commitment to building a stronger nation through volunteer service.”

Wait had already received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the City of Mesquite for 2023.
Wait moved to Mesquite twenty years ago from Las Vegas. He worked as a custodian for J.L. Bowler Elementary School in Bunkerville, retiring in 2017.
“After a year of doing nothing I needed to do something,” Wait said of the time just after his retirement. “I decided to volunteer my time to do what I can to help in our community.”

In past five years Wait has made himself available to the community in various ways. He is part of the Volunteer Police force. Together with local resident Wes Boger, Wait created the Watchdog Guards, a volunteer group that serves as crossing guards and help with field trips for the Virgin Valley Elementary School.

Wait is also part of the local CERT. He can also often be found cooking on the Fire Department BBQ team at community events.

Wait is part of the Virgin Valley Community Educational Advisory Board, The Kids for Sports Advisory Board, Salvation Army advisor board, and the Virgin Valley Little League Board.

He helps out with Shop-with-a-Cop, Golf for Kids, and the Christmas Parade of Lights and Food Drive.

Bill Ennis, Director for the Mesquite Salvation Army told the Progress, “Larry Wait has been instrumental volunteering for the Salvation Army of Mesquite. Over the course of six plus years he has contributed over 700 hours of volunteer work. Whenever I would ask him to help us out, he was there.

Whether it was helping at the front desk, or unloading thousands of pounds of food. He still does to this day. He has a great attitude, especially when it comes to helping out those in need.”
CERT Director Sandy Cooper Director said, “Larry is the one of the best. He is so dependable. Whatever is needed you can count on Larry showing up.”