Adel Fatur accepts the 2020 Zelienople Volunteer of the Year Award from borough manager Don Pepe on Monday. Pepe called Fatur “more than deserving” of the award, citing Fatur's volunteerism throughout the borough and the three nominations she received from community organizations.

ZELIENOPLE — Adel Fatur received her volunteerism award Monday night from Zelienople Borough Council.

How did she celebrate?

By telling council of her new plans to enhance events she already has sparked.

Fatur, who received the borough's 2020 Volunteer of the Year award, accepted the plaque from Zelienople council Monday night minutes before updating them on her plans to bring a traveling Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to Zelienople during next year's Independence Day weekend.

In fact, Fatur received the award in no small part due to her work with this year's July 4 celebration. She sold and placed flags at Four Corners Park in July, exceeding her goal, and she sparked the Patriotic Porch Tour, for which she recruited vendors, advertisers, participants and judges.

That's all in addition to decorating and organizing parade floats and events for the Red Hat Society, selling quilt raffle tickets during Open Air Market events and working with the historical society, particularly as its organizer for the Miracle on Main event.

“Plus, in her spare time, she delivers Meals on Wheels from English Lutheran Church to shut-ins and senior citizens during the pandemic,” borough manager Don Pepe said.

So, it's not a surprise that Fatur already is working to ramp up her Fourth of July fete, asking the borough for a special events permit to bring the unknown soldier's tomb to Four Corners Park from July 2 to 5 next year.

Fatur said she already had received a $500 donation, which would cover two-thirds of the $750 cost to bring the replica tomb, as well as a donation of 1,000 U.S. flags.

Another additional cost would be to pay room and board for four people to watch over the tomb during daylight hours.

“I do have to have 24-hour surveillance on it, and I've asked the (American) Legion to help, and the Wounded Warriors, and they all said that they would take turns watching it, so it doesn't get vandalized,” Fatur said.

And, naturally, it will likely be in Four Corners Park — where Fatur tried placing enough flags to enter Zelienople in the Guinness Book of World Records — “because it's the most visible,” she said.