Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital

The annual ceremony of the national volunteers festival was held on July 1 at the convention hall of Kim Koo Museum & Library. At the festival which was co-hosted by the Korea Council of Volunteering, the JoongAng Ilbo and SBS, the 'Hallym Neurinso Community Service Team' was awarded a bronze medal for its devotion and outstanding volunteer services to the community.

More than 5,000 teams from various sectors of society competed with each other in social welfare, medical services, environment, transportation, culture, protection of human rights, youth, and community development. 865 teams passed the first preliminary contest. 87 out of 865 teams entered into final competition. Finally, 87 finalists were screened on fresh ideas, readiness for volunteerism, implementation methods, and contribution to the communities, their ripple effects and future plan. Of the 87 contestants, 26 finalists were awarded.

The ceremony started with a parade by a high school brass band and its performance, followed by a progress report on the festival, remarks by Song Pil-ho, president of the JoongAng Ilbo, and comments from the screening board. President Song said, "To make our society grow into being a truly multi-cultural, we all need to make efforts to help volunteerism take root in our community."

On the same day, Hallym Neurinso Community Service Team was also awarded an appreciation plaque from the Anyang City government for its dedicated community works. Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital(HUSHH) was highly evaluated as a leading social worker, devoting itself to the development of the region by participating in community services.

By Jonghun Im, Int'l Operations Team, HUMC