News Photo by Steve Schulwitz From left, Bryan Roznowski, Stacy Roznowski, Karen McWilliams, and Wayne McWilliams pose next to the Friends Together sign in Alpena on April 4. The families volunteer at Friends Together and other local clubs and organizations in Alpena. Four generations of the McWilliams family have given their time and resources to help others in need.

ALPENA — Volunteering and helping others in Alpena has been a tradition for the McWilliams family for generations, with the family currently lending its time and other resources to help people with cancer at Friends Together and the local Relay for Life.

Wayne McWilliams and his wife, Karen, said that, growing up, their parents volunteered often and Wayne did so at their side. He said he wasn’t coaxed into helping but, instead, just figured it was part of normal life.

“My mother and father and grandparents were always active, and I just helped do some of the work that needed to be done,” he said. “I look at it as being the price you pay for living on this Earth.”

After seeing the impact their parents’ volunteer effort had on others, the couple’s children began to help out. Daughter Stacy Roznowski said the kids were never forced to participate, but things just naturally evolved into them being active to help others.

“We just did it,” she said.

Karen said her children got involved, in part, because members of the family struggled with cancer. She said that prompted them to play a bigger role in Relay for Life and then larger endeavors.

“They saw what everyone was going through and, now, everyone supported one another and then we started supporting other people who needed help also,” she said.

Stacy and Bryan Roznowski have two children, 26 years old and 22 years old, who are active in their volunteering efforts. Stacy said the path her children are taking to help others is similar to the one she took.

“They just started doing it,” she said. “They started out helping with the kids’ activities at Relay, and it just kind of took off from there.”

Wayne, Karen, Stacy, and Bryan said volunteering is very rewarding, but they stressed that is not why they do what they do. She said helping others is something everyone should set as a priority, because, one day, you may need help.

“You never know when you are going to need help,” Bryan said. “It is kind of like paying it forward. Hopefully, if something ever comes about with one of us, there is a program that can help if we need it.”

The McWilliams and Roznowski families say that Alpena is blessed because it is very charitable and there are many people who give of themselves to assist others.

“Alpena is full of very giving people, and I think Alpena is a rare community when it comes to helping others,” Stacy said. “You go to bigger cities and you just don’t hear about things like you see here. It is almost like you ask and you receive, and people always rise up to help a neighbor.”