In 1976, when the nation was celebrating its bicentennial and a first-class stamp cost 13 cents, Phyllis Newell, Elinor Gustafson and Dodie Linn were volunteering at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center.

When the hospital presented its 40th annual party for adult volunteers, among those saluted were Newell, for 32 years; Gustafson, 34 years; and Linn, 37 years.

The evening event Feb. 7 was at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley. To coincide with the hospital's history, Irene Brennick, the hospital's director of community services, planned a 1940s theme with entertainment by Westlake High School's Class Act mixing '40s songs with patriotic songs. The program was designed as a yearbook, with '40s photos of many volunteers as babies, high school students, in uniform and in wedding pictures. Also, there was a custom video about life in the 1940s, featuring Ed and Helen Nenne, Joan Bush, Freda Cohen and Pete Pearson, all from Thousand Oaks; and Newbury Park residents Armida Garcia and Shirley Sharpe.

The retrospective event came from Jim Sherman, the hospital's president and chief executive officer who reported, "Forty years ago when Los Robles Hospital greeted its first patient, the Conejo Valley was a countryside city with a population of 30,000 people living amongst oak trees and rolling hills where cattle still roamed."

In that first year, 520 babies were delivered, the emergency room treated 7,400 people, surgeons operated on 1,140 patients, and 2,300 patients were cared for.

Four decades later, 160,000 people live in the greater Conejo Valley. Yearly, 2,000 babies are born, the emergency room treats more than 32,000, 9,000 surgeries are performed, and 13,000 patients cared for, Sherman said.

The outgoing Volunteer Board of Directors turned the reins over to the 2008 board, led by Deb Hurdle.

"She's here about every day, is also Pet Therapy chair and editor of our volunteers newsletter. She's amazing, and she's everywhere," Brennick said.

The acknowledgement saluted more than 500 volunteers, who got 40th anniversary pins for their uniforms. Among them were Sylvia Charrett of Thousand Oaks, 98, who started in 1989. She has 5,500 hours served and is stationed at the main information desk Saturday mornings. Gordon Wolfgram of Newbury Park has racked up 9,000 hours since 1992 and "will do anything for anybody at any time to help," Brennick said.

Wooden stars were given to those listed in the Beyond the Call category; Brennick called them "the celebrities of our place." Contributing 1,000 hours in just one year were George Colon, Norma Heagy, Rosemary Herbrecht, Margarita Horowitz, Ann Houseal, Deb Hurdle, Daria MacNeil, Linda Pearson, Joe Salviejo and Judy Williams.

To find out more about Los Robles volunteerism, call Brennick at 370-4685, or visit the Web site at http://www.losrobleshospital.com.