By Amanda Estes
Staff Writer
Hundreds of ballots have been counted and the results are finally in.
 Tom and Margo Hill of Cape Elizabeth have won the South Portland Cape Elizabeth Sentry’s 2007 Great Person Award.
“No kidding,” said Tom Hill on Monday morning, when he learned he and his wife had won. “Wow, that’s great.”
The Hills will receive a plaque commemorating the award and will be the subject of the Sentry’s Weekly Interview next week.
South Portland resident Doris Cook nominated the Hills for their efforts to coordinate monthly dinners at the Preble Street Soup Kitchen in Portland.
On the first Sunday of each month, Tom and Margo Hill coordinate volunteers and help ensure individuals and families have a healthy meal.
Tom Hill said he and his wife have been recruiting volunteers from their church, Holy Cross Church in South Portland, for roughly nine years.
“We started as most people do when they volunteer,” he said. “We wanted to get involved so we took our kids in and volunteered at the soup kitchen.”
Tom Hill said they have been fortunate to recruit a group of committed people to help out with the dinners.
“We’re on an average of about 45 people coming in,” he said. “That includes a family of three or four and a group that comes up from Wells.”
Cook was thrilled to hear the Hills had won and exclaimed, “Isn’t that wonderful!”      
 “It’s a big job to coordinate all of those volunteers,” Cook said, adding volunteers are needed to cook, wash dishes and serve the meal. “It’s a wonderful thing to help those people – at least if they have one good meal under their belt, that’s a good thing.”
By email, fax and hand delivery, the Sentry received hundreds of votes for the 12 people nominated in this year’s contest. Thank you to everyone for your nominations and your votes!
Be sure to check out the Jan. 11 issue of the Sentry for a weekly interview featuring Tom and Margo Hill.