The Town of Cochrane will say thank you on April 14, to the hundreds of men, women and youth that volunteer in our community.

Anyone who volunteers within the community is welcome to attend the morning celebration which features free entertainment, refreshments and a choice of one of three movies at the Cochrane Movie House as a thank you for all they do.

For 28 years, Cochrane has celebrated residents that help keep the heart in our community and they have another fantastic celebration planned for this year, says Brenda Dennis, Volunteer Services and Community Programmer. "The doors open at 9 a.m. and we have the Cochrane Youth Singers for entertainment in the foyer. Mayor, Councillors, some Town of Cochrane senior staff, and our volunteer appreciation committee will be on board to welcome everybody and thank our community volunteers."

Tim Hortons, COBs and Guy's Bakery will provide drinks and snacks to roughly 500 attendees before movie lovers settle in to watch a movie of their choice out of 'Ferdinand' 'Wonder' or 'The Greatest Showman'.

Dennis feels this year's movies really showcase what community volunteerism means. "When we look at all these movies they speak to this year's theme which is celebrating the value of volunteering. There is a similar thread with all the movies about celebrating uniqueness no matter who you are, we all bring something special to the table."

A number of door prizes will also be handed out thanks to the generosity of the local business community as well as Canlin Energy, one of the main sponsors of the Volunteer appreciation event.

Complimentary tickets for volunteers and their family can be picked up at the Homestead building which houses Family Community Support Services ( 209 2 Ave W) on a first come first serve basis.

National Volunteer Week will be celebrated April 15 to the 21 across the country and is a great week to recognize not only those who serve our community but also the power of volunteerism and the benefits it brings.