Nicks served her fourth year as chairman of the Old Shawnee Days committee, which plans, organizes and operates the weekend festival, held June 1-4. She has helped with the event for seven years, serving on committees in charge of booths, grounds and security.

Among her other volunteer activities, Nicks conducts school tours at Shawnee Town, demonstrating how to do laundry on a washboard and how to churn butter - skills she learned during her childhood in Buffalo, Mo., where she was active in church, and the Future Farmers of America and 4-H clubs.

She also assists with Shawnee special events including Historical Hauntings, Christmas Around Town and the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Gum Springs Park.

Nicks has served three years on the children's liturgy committee at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, and in the parish's food kitchen for the needy. She is active in the annual Miracle Network Walk for children with cancer. She also is in charge of kids games at the annual Shawnee Knights of Columbus family picnic, and cooks corned beef and cabbage for the council's St. Patrick's Day dinner.

"I'm busy in the community and my church and work, but I didn't know I was doing all that good, as far as being named Citizen of the Year. I'm in a very good group of people ... I'm very proud to be among them," she said of the previous honorees.

Volunteering and being active in the community is important to Nicks because she enjoys "being around people and seeing happy faces on children."

Since 1975, Nicks has worked for Burlington-Santa Fe Railroad in Kansas City, Kan., where she met her husband, Daniel. She volunteered with the Harvey Girls, which remembers and relives waitresses in Santa Fe's nationwide Fred Harvey restaurant chain. She also served 15 years on the railroad's committee sponsoring the Kids Christmas Train for underprivileged children, taking them on a train ride and serving lunch.

In connection with her volunteer work at the railroad, Nicks participates in the annual Juvenile Diabetes Walk and has served on the Kansas City Regional Credit Union's supervisory committee.

In addition to working a full-time job and donating her free time to various volunteer activities, Nicks raised two sons, Ryan and Matt, and spent many hours keeping score and compiling stats at soccer, basketball, baseball and football games, and track meets. She also is a registered five-gallon donor at the Community Blood Bank.

During the banquet, council members will be honored in several categories, including Knight of the Year, Family of the Year, and the Joe Lang Award for long and continuous service to the council.

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