Red Cross honors Scottsdale woman for 80 years of service

PHOENIX (FOX 10) - The American Red Cross honored Scottsdale resident Betty Grenig, 97, for her 80 years of service as a volunteer.

Grenig is the oldest and longest-serving volunteer in Red Cross history. She was honored Saturday during the annual Red Cross Volunteer Recognition event in Phoenix.

The 97-year-old began volunteering as a teenager by knitting socks for service members. She served more than 20 years as a volunteer at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale as an informal chief morale officer while she shredded records for the medical unit.

Grenig tried to retire in 2015 but quickly realized she wasn't ready to give up volunteering. Currently, she supports Red Cross volunteers by building packets to take on disaster responses and organizing volunteer recruitment materials.

"Betty is an example of community stewardship we all aspire towards," said Danielle Rudolph, Senior Volunteer Recruitment Specialist for the Red Cross Arizona-New Mexico-El Paso Region.

The organization also honored nine other volunteers who have made a difference through their service.