&dquo;These volunteers deserve our congratulations for serving their communities,&dquo; said Perdue.&bsp; &dquo;We should be especially grateful because when times are tough, volunteers are even more important to those in need.&dquo;

Carole Bartol of Polk County also received the Governor&squo;s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service and was recognized with Wuehrmann at the Polk County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday.

Wuehrmann and the other 19 recipients of the Medallion honor also were recognized by Gov. Perdue at a ceremony in the State Capitol where they each received the medallion and a certificate in recognition of their service.&bsp; Afterwards, Gov. Perdue and First Gentleman Bob Eaves hosted the award recipients at a reception in the Executive Mansion.

The recognition is part of the N.C. Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service program, which honors individuals, groups, teams and businesses that make significant contributions to their communities through volunteer service. &bsp;

Since the program began in 1978, about 16,000 individuals have been recognized for their service. County coordinators and local selection committees receive and evaluate the nominations. &bsp;

Medallion recipients are nominated at the county level then evaluated by a panel of community service leaders from across the state.

The following are this year&squo;s medallion recipients:

Beaufort County, John Morgan; Buncombe County, Madeline Pflaumbaum; Carteret County, Richard Eisemann; Cumberland County Great Oak Youth Development Centers; Gates County, Dillon Kyle Chappell; Granville County, Betty Lynne Currin; Guilford County, LaToya Marsh; Harnett County,&bsp; Joyce Rosser; Madison County, A.C. and Susie Honeycutt; McDowell County, Dr. James Gaskill, DDS; Mitchell County, Frances Herrell; New Hanover, Donna Sweetman; Onslow County, William Sidberry; Pasquotank County , Sonja Hibbard; Perquimans County,&bsp; Rosemary Smith; Polk County, William Wuehrmann; Rowan County, Pete Teague; Tyrrell County, Andrew Swain, Wake County, Peter Zierz; Wayne County, The Parrish Family.

The N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, a federal- and state-funded agency housed in the Governor&squo;s Office, administers funding to 14 N.C. AmeriCorps programs for the 2009-2010 program year.&bsp; &bsp;

For more information on the N.C. AmeriCorps programs, visit the N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service&squo;s website at www.volunteernc.org or call 1-800/820-4483 (TTY: 1-877-877-1765).