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Margaret "Peg" Yake, 91, of Lexington received the Senior Volunteer Award of Excellence Award at the 2007 Governor's Service Awards event, The Miracle of Volunteering, last Wednesday at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.

As the awards were handed out, she waited for her named to be called.

"They announced this one, that one. This organization, that organization. All of sudden, I'm on the screen, a movie star!" said Peg, referring to the video taped interview at her home prior to the event.

"I received my award and they asked me to make a comment. I said, Ôthere are a lot of people out of work, it's up to us as individuals to see to it we help them. Don't turn your back on them.' I got a loud ovation (from the audience), she said."She really represented Sanilac County very well," said Nona Walker of Port Sanilac, a member of the Sanilac County Silver Lining Committee who attended the event.

The Silver Lining Committee nominated Yake for the state award, after she was presented with the committee's own prestigious Crystal Award for volunteer service last fall.

Peg Yake began taking children into her home in the 1940's, and began a long career of helping others.The first four children were from the Children's Aid Society, and within a year she took in four more children. During her life, she has opened her home to 26 foster children.

Her house was also a home for her four grandchildren, two of whom she and her husband - the late Raymond Yake Ð adopted. Her house has been a second home to teenagers over the years.

She helped start Project Blessing, which collects food and clothing for those in need, and has been a school crossing guard for many years.

"Michigan's great volunteers help make miracles happen across the state every day," Granholm said. "Our volunteers are out there day after day, year after year, working to make Michigan a great place to live. The Governor's Service Awards are just one way we can say thank you for their efforts."