Between her work with the Rochester Lions Club and the building up of the town’s new Sports Museum, Sam hardly has time to sleep.
But the Lions knew it was time to give her something in return for her countless hours of hard work and support.
At their 50th anniversary dinner on May 10, Sam was awarded the Chris August Memorial Award and to her, it was a wonderful surprise.
‘‘I had no idea it was coming,’’ Sam said.
‘‘I don’t do this for recognition. I don’t expect it, but it was so lovely of them to honour me in this way.’’
Sam’s work began with the Lions Club in 2017 after a tough time took over her life.
‘‘I had recently finished work and retired, but unfortunately the departure from my workplace wasn’t, let’s say, an easy one,’’ Sam said.
‘‘I had some serious mental health issues surrounding that departure. I had lost all my confidence in my ability and my skills as well as my trust in people.
‘‘The members of the Lions Club who we knew from various other places in Rochester knew of my situation and as true Lions members do they approached me as a member of the community who needed help.’’
They saw the skills and abilities Sam could offer them and the potential that, at the time, she couldn’t see in herself.
‘‘I put my hand up as a project manager and then I think for the next six months I resigned every month,’’ she said.
But the members knew she wouldn’t be going anywhere.
From there, Sam worked hard with the club to build the foundations for the Sports Museum.
‘‘It’s been a lot of work in terms of getting grants and of course the physical work that needs to be done to the Railway Station, but we’re getting there,’’ she said.
To Sam and many others, the Lions Club is very important in the community.
‘‘It’s a community group that’s always there to provide support to the local community when it’s required,’’ she said.
‘‘The money they raise through their sausage sizzles, their raffles and everything is available to local families who may have difficulties.
‘‘In the past they’ve raised money for someone who needed a new wheelchair. If you take that organisation out of the town, there’s suddenly a lot of people who need to find assistance in a different way.’’
Work on the Rochester Sports Museum is set to be completed later this year.