Volunteerism is in Diane Thornton鈥檚 blood.

The 91原创 Memorial Hospital Auxiliary鈥檚 president said volunteering runs in her family.

It鈥檚 this natural inclination for helping out, and the ongoing effort of raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for equipment and programs at 91原创鈥檚 鈥榟ospital on the hill,鈥� that drew Thornton to the role of president.

鈥淚 have a history of volunteering, and it just seemed to be a natural progression,鈥� Thornton said. 鈥淚 was on the executive. I was secretary to begin with (then) vice president. That鈥檚 usually how we progress. We bring people on, ideally as a director, and they鈥檒l take an executive position and move up to president.鈥�

She鈥檚 been the auxiliary鈥檚 president since 2011.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a two-year term,鈥� Thornton said. 鈥�(I鈥檝e been elected) by acclamation 鈥� four times.鈥�

She added as her colleagues sitting around her chuckled, 鈥淣obody else ran against me. Election is in quotation marks.鈥�

Thornton鈥檚 11-year history with the auxiliary continues a family tradition.

鈥淢y mother was a lifetime member of the auxiliary in Powell River,鈥� Thornton said. 鈥淎nd I have two sisters who currently volunteer. So I guess it was instilled in us.鈥�

When Thornton retired from her job as a customs broker, something she did for 鈥�30-plus years,鈥� she was looking for something to do to keep her busy.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to sit around all day and do nothing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 knew what an auxiliary was, I knew what they did.鈥�

As well, Thornton鈥檚 husband made it clear that he didn鈥檛 want her to volunteer with an animal welfare group.

It wasn鈥檛 that he didn鈥檛 like animals, but he knew how much of a soft spot his wife had for furry friends 鈥� and he didn鈥檛 want any new additions to the household.

鈥淗e said I couldn鈥檛 volunteer with the SPCA,鈥� Thornton related, 鈥渂ecause he figured I鈥檇 bring them all (animals) home. The thing is, you take things home from here (the auxiliary鈥檚 Penny Pincher thrift store), they鈥檙e not live.鈥�

Thornton said she鈥檚 a lifer with the auxiliary.

鈥淪ome people volunteer for a short time and move on to something else, and there鈥檚 a few of us in a core group where we get sucked in and it鈥檚 a lifetime thing,鈥� Thornton said. 鈥淵ou buy into what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�

As auxiliary president, she has many duties.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the overseeing of the whole organization,鈥� Thornton explained.

鈥淚 oversee the different programs that we have. We have the gift shop, information desk, Penny Pincher (thrift store that raises funds for the hospital). I volunteer (at Penny Pincher) because I like the hands-on contact. You oversee the whole operation.鈥�

An ongoing challenge for the auxiliary is its public identity. Simply, Thornton pointed out, people don鈥檛 know what it does.

鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 know that we are all volunteers, and that we raise money for the hospital and health care in our community,鈥� Thornton said.