By Ron VandenBoom
Betty Peck, wife of Rep. Ray Peck, D-Havre, and long time Democratic Party activist, said she was not paying attention when her name was called during the Mansfield-Metcalf dinner in Helena last weekend.
"I heard my name called, but I had no idea what was going on," she said about the moment.
Peck was being honored with the Lawrence O'Brien Democratic Party Achievement Award a high honor among Democratic Party faithful.
The award recognizes individuals who have "performed outstanding volunteer work on behalf of the Democratic Party at the local, state, or national levels."
Joe Andrew, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, presented Peck with the award noting her "years of tireless service" to state and local Democratic candidates and the Hill County Democratic Central Committee.
Peck, who was recently diagnosed with cancer at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, N.Y. and is currently undergoing treatment in Great Falls, was nominated for the award by party leaders and Democratic officeholders.
The award was established in honor of Lawrence O'Brien a life-long Democrat who stressed the importance of volunteers during the time he was chairman of the DNC and director of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Humphrey presidential campaigns.
