Columbia city officials recognized the efforts of hundreds of volunteers.

Mayor Bob McDavid and City Manager Mike Matthes gave a special thank you to those who have volunteered with the City of Columbia during 2011.

The 2012 Howard Lang Award for outstanding volunteer service was presented to Bob Smith.

Smith was Columbia’s mayor in 1961 and 1962 and has been involved with a variety of community efforts for more than 60 years.

Smith remembers when Columbia volunteers worked in a little city.

Smith said, “Jefferson City and Moberly were bigger than Columbia.  We were more of a small town.  It all changed after World War II when all of the students came in and more and more people moved in here.  We had new highways come through.  Columbia has really changed.”

Columbia volunteers contributed 49,885 hours toward city programs and projects.

Based on a national value for volunteer service, those hours are worth $1,086,000.