Myrtle Beach names 2015 volunteer of the year

William “Bill” Pritchard devoted more than 150 hours to public service last year on two city committees. He bicycled the length of Ocean Boulevard for a recent road safety audit. He helped organize and staff The Market Common’s first Cyclovia, spending his Sunday at the Nov. 1 event talking with residents about bicycling and walking opportunities.

The city says the long-time Myrtle Beach resident has given a lot to his community and, on Wednesday, the city gave Pritchard the Myrtle Beach 2015 Volunteer of the Year award.

“The city is truly fortunate to have such a committed citizen who is dedicated to making Myrtle Beach a better place to live, work and play,” said Mayor John Rhodes as he announced this year’s top volunteer.

Pritchard said he was surprised that he was singled out for his service in a conference room full of hundreds of volunteers who gave thousands of hours in free manpower to the city last year.

The operation of the city was aided by 600 volunteers in 2015, according to Mark Kruea, city spokesman.

“This is such an honor. Y’all out there are much more deserving of this than me,” Pritchard told the crowd at the city’s volunteer appreciation luncheon at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel on Wednesday. “I’ve been blessed in my participation in this community and I thank all of you for the support you’ve given me and the causes we all fight for.

“We can make this the greatest community in all of South Carolina just by working together,” he said.

Pritchard serves on the Myrtle Beach Planning Commission and chairs the Myrtle Beach Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee. His service with the Planning Commission began in January 2011.

“Since then, he’s served as chairman of several subcommittees, including the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Subcommittee, which later became a standing committee of its own,” Rhodes said, reading the prepared announcement.

Both committees meet twice a month with each meeting lasting from one to four hours, the mayor said. “Not including preparation time, he spent at least 72 hours in meetings last year for just one of those public bodies and at least 84 hours in meetings for the other.”

Pritchard said he learned the value of community service and volunteerism from his family.

“I’d say a lot of it came from being raised by my parents, who were involved, and the example that they set for me and even my in-laws, my wife’s parents are the same way,” he said. “I would say in a lot of ways it’s a family tradition to be involved in the community.”

The Volunteer of the Year is awarded with a commemorative plaque and a check for $500.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach names 2015 volunteer of the year."