Borough Manager Don Pepe, Ethel Mae Hall and Borough Council President Allen Bayer stand for a photo after Zelienople awarded Hall and her husband with the 2018 volunteer of the year award.

ZELIENOPLE — A pair from Zelienople who have dedicated years of their lives to volunteer activities became the first joint recipients of the Volunteer of the Year award.

Ethel Mae Hall, chairwoman of the annual Country Fall Festival, accepted the award from borough council on Monday on behalf of herself and her husband, Lloyd Hall, a volunteer with the Salvation Army.

Borough Manager Don Pepe presented Hall with the award, saying the honor was “long overdue.”

“I've known you for 13 years, and you deserved this 13 years ago,” Pepe told Hall.

The Halls have helped organize the fall festival for the past three years. The event draws up to 20,000 people annually and expanded in 2018, adding Friday hours to the previously weekend-only event.

Pepe had said council would change how it confers the award for its 2018 iteration, and the change did not disappoint attendees Monday.

Hall did not say much when the council awarded her the honor, but her gratitude was clear. “Thank you,” she said.