Friday, July 16, 2010 4:15 pm

Samantha Jane Raines has been nominated for the Tennessee Health Care Association’s (THCA) 2010 Individual Volunteer of the Year award. For more than a year, Raines has visited Woodbury Health Center every Thursday.

THCA’s Individual Volunteer of the Year award recognizes a person who spends personal time to tend to the needs of nursing home patients. The winner will be announced in August during THCA’s Annual Convention & Trade Show in Knoxville.

“Each year, those nominated for THCA’s Individual and Group Volunteer of the Year awards remind us why Tennessee is called the Volunteer State,” said THCA Executive Director Ron Taylor. “These awards give us the opportunity to recognize those volunteers who truly shine, giving their time and talents to improve the lives of the elderly and disabled living in our state’s long-term care facilities.”

Raines, who is 2 years old, has been visiting Woodbury Health Center each week with her grandmother since she was 10 months old. She brings smiles to the patients’ faces, and they look forward to her weekly visits where she plays ball with them or visits them in their rooms.

The Individual Volunteer of the Year award is one of 13 statewide honors presented annually by THCA recognizing outstanding individuals and programs in Tennessee’s long-term care facilities.

THCA is a nonprofit organization whose members include long-term care facilities located throughout the state. For more information about nursing homes, visit www.thca.org.