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4,000 Hours of Service also earns him Top Presidential Service Award
Miami-Dade County, FL – After volunteering 4,000 hours at Miami International Airport (MIA) to help passengers find the nearest bathroom (the most frequent question), walk them to the right gate or bus, or reunite them with their lost and found items, Larry Waterman was named the airport’s first-ever Volunteer of the Year at a recognition gala on Wednesday, April 22, in honor of MIA’s volunteer “Airport Ambassadors.”
A Miami Lakes retiree who spent 40 years in sales and marketing for various airlines, Waterman won two tickets from American Airlines to anywhere in the continental U.S. and his 4,000 hours of service – more than double that of any other volunteer at MIA – also earned him the U.S. Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest level of recognition given by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.
After 40 years in the airline industry, Waterman responded to a newspaper ad for customer service volunteers at MIA in 2002 and has volunteered at the airport ever since every Monday and Wednesday from 5:00 to 11:00 a.m. Although the MIA Airport Ambassador Program only requires volunteers to provide four hours of service per week, Waterman has consistently worked 12.
In seven years, what was Waterman’s most memorable moment? “Two female passengers got off a long flight early in the morning and really had to use the ladies room, but it was being cleaned at the time,” said Waterman. “I made sure there was no one in the men’s room and I told them, ‘Take your time. I’ll stand guard until you’re done.’ They really had to go, so they were very thankful!”
MIA’s Airport Ambassador Program, begun in 2002 by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, allows community volunteers 16 years old and older to assist passengers at MIA and welcome them to Miami-Dade County. Airport Ambassadors are required to volunteer a minimum of four hours per week and in return receive benefits such as: free parking; free uniforms; eligibility for airline tickets; airport discounts; and student community service hours. For more information about becoming an Airport Ambassador, call 305-876-7724 or email at volunteer@miami-airport.com.
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