This week was National Volunteer Week, saluting those who give back to the community.

Cory Olafson starting volunteering in Moose Jaw about 25 years ago with the Kinsmen Club and now splits his time between that, the Moose Jaw Miller Express, KidSport, and the Moose Jaw Businessmen’s Club.

“The reason I got involved with the Kinsmen Club way back when I was a young guy starting a business in Moose Jaw and didn’t know a lot of people in that community,” Olafson said.

“Back then, there were a lot of business guys in the Kinsmen Club so I thought it’d be a way to meet some people and give back to the community.”

He added that volunteering in the community has given him a good feeling that he’s lending a hand to others throughout Moose Jaw.

While it is rewarding, Olafson said volunteering can be time-consuming but it is about how you manage your time.

“It was easy for me in the early year. I was a single guy with no kids. I’m at the point now where I’m married with four kids. Time is a little more scarce than it used to be,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of how you allocate your time. Obviously, I can’t dedicate the time that I used to dedicate to some of these things, but you still try to do what you can where you can.”

Olafson was named Citizen of the Year in 2018 for his volunteer work.