Barbara Kolk has volunteered her time to serve the patients of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System for more than 36 years – and she has no plans of “retiring” any time soon. 

“Not until I drop,” she said jokingly when asked about slowing down. 

The 82-year-old was honored during a volunteer luncheon at Spartanburg’s Piedmont Club on April 23. She is the longest-serving volunteer currently with the system. 

System leaders invited hundreds of volunteers to enjoy lunch – an opportunity for those volunteers to be served by others. 

“You serve every day; let us serve you,” Jill Dugaw, volunteer services manager, said before lunch was served. 

The luncheon has become a cherished annual event for Spartanburg Regional leadership to say a resounding “thank you” and to help each volunteer be recognized and applauded. 

"The work you do today sets the stage for those who will continue the spirit of service well into the future,” said Lori McMillan, Spartanburg Regional vice president of professional services. 

After lunch, volunteers were recognized with door prizes and special recognition gifts. 

Kolk began serving in the surgery division, assisting with clerical work, patient navigation, delivering equipment to physicians and a host of other tasks. 

“I did anything and everything,” she said. 

But growing up playing piano her whole life, it was no surprise that Kolk eventually found an opportunity to use her musical gift. 

She began playing piano in the lobby of the Gibbs Cancer Center when it first opened in 1999. 

“I came from a semi-musical family, and it just clicked,” she said. “I have so many people who know me now and I know them. A man came in with his daughter and said his daughter was so happy hearing the piano that she was willing to take her cancer treatment, knowing she could hear that and get her mind off things.” 

There are nearly 275 volunteers serving in more than 70 different areas throughout the healthcare system. 

In addition to sacrificing their time, volunteers also donated items for patient needs, collaborated with local organizations, recruited more volunteers, crafted handmade items for patients and assisted visitors in gift shops, among many other valuable contributions. 

Union Medical Center President Paul Newhouse addressed the room during the event, describing the inspiration that comes from seeing volunteers hard at work. 

“I hear many of you say, ‘I get more out of it than I put into it,’ which just shows what kind of people you are," Newhouse said. “We applaud all of the work that you do.”