VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — MaryAnn Conrad has been volunteering at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital in Virginia Beach since the hospital opened — and at 93 years old, she shows no signs of slowing down.
Conrad was recently honored as an Everyday Hero, recognized for her decades of service at the hospital's gift shop and for leading a team of volunteers who knit and crochet hats for newborns in the hospital's Family Maternity Center.
Family, friends and fellow volunteers gathered to celebrate Conrad and watch her receive the award.
Nik Trivedi, the gift shop manager, thinks the world of her. "She's incredible! She is an inspiration. If there is an inspiration to be found in Hampton Roads, she is a living example of it," Trivedi said.
Conrad's motivation is simple.
"I enjoy doing this. I enjoy doing, and I've been doing that ever since the hospital opened," Conrad said.
Paige Crunk, director of the Family Maternity Center, said the hats Conrad and her team provide make a meaningful difference for new parents. "So Maryann and her team bring up these beautiful hats for all of our babies, and the parents absolutely love them," Crunk said.
Crunk said the team's contributions extend to every holiday and celebration throughout the year. "Every holiday we get hats. We'll get leprechaun hats. Christmas, of course, is huge. Any celebration we can celebrate, we do, and Maryann and her team give us those hats and it is absolutely fabulous," Crunk said.
Conrad will turn 94 in June. Her daughter, Kathy Peate, said staying active is simply part of who her mother is. "She's just great. We love her, you know, she's on the go all the time. She is an inspiration. She keeps us all busy though. She keeps us hopping and popping. She stays busy. She's active in church, she's active here. She's active with another ladies' group. So when I say she stays busy, she stays really busy," Peate said.
Crunk said Conrad's impact on the hospital and the families it serves is immeasurable.
"Maryann and her team, they make those little moments. That's the little moments that make a big difference, and she makes millions of little moments," Crunk said.
Along with the Everyday Hero award, Conrad received a $425 gift certificate from community partner Southern Bank.
If Conrad's story has inspired you to volunteer, Sentara Princess Anne Hospital has opportunities available at the gift shop and in other areas throughout the organization. For information on how to volunteer with Sentara, click here
And if you'd like information on how to support the hospital's auxiliary club, which helps support programs like the knitting and crocheting team, click here
