One of the largest volunteer forces in the Santa Clarita Valley are the men and women in blue.

Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital’s army of more than 300 volunteers performed more than 52,000 hours of service last year alone.

On Thursday they were honored at the Hyatt Valencia with an annual volunteer recognition luncheon that included entertainment, raffle prizes and awards for their hours of service.

“Volunteers really do so much in our community,” said hospital CEO Roger Seaver. “At Henry Mayo they’re simply a lifeblood. They really keep the connection to the families, to the community and to us through their giving of time. It’s wonderful.”

Among the honorees at the “Wizard of Oz”-themed luncheon were Judy Peterson, for her 22,000 volunteer hours; Joanne Timmerman for 22,500 hours; and Margery Link, who has racked up 53,000 hours of service over the years.

Volunteer extraordinaires Linda Palacios and Warren Bell were honored with the Auxiliary’s Honorary Life Member award for their hard work and dedication.

Henry Mayo’s four-legged superstars from the pet therapy program also took home goodie bags for their work in lifting patients’ spirits with their character and charm.