His country called him to serve his community and Ringgold, Ga., resident Rudy Peterson responded with more than 4,000 volunteer hours of service in one year — through the LaFayette Elks Club.

Mr. Peterson, state chairman of the Georgia Elks Association, and John Yost, president of Georgia Elks Association, are to be awarded the President’s Call to Service Award from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.

The award is to be presented at the Georgia Elks’ spring meeting in Atlanta on Wednesday, said Mr. Peterson, who is active in the club’s drug resistance program.

“If I can save one kid from drugs, that’s worth everything,” said Mr. Peterson, a retiree and an Elk for 27 years.

“It’s a very demanding program,” he said about the Elks’ effort he chairs statewide. “We serve across all spectrums of the community. We try to help everybody who wants to walk the straight and narrow.”

President George W. Bush developed the President’s Council in 2002 to recognize dedication to volunteer service. The award shows that the recipient demonstrates values that make America strong and help to build a culture of citizenship, service and responsibility, according to the letter from the president.

The Call to Service Award is for all ages with more than 4,000 hours of service within a two-year period.

Mr. Peterson earned his hours in one year working with the drug awareness program focused on area school-age children.

The club sponsors a variety of activities, from essay and poster contests to videos for parents and “fatal vision” simulator goggles for students to experience impaired driving.