Lifelong Los Banos resident Tesse Mazzina is going to be given recognition by the Central Valley's Rotary Club district as one of the citizens of the year.

District 5220 will hold its annual foundation dinner Saturday at the University of California, Merced where it will honor 12 non-rotary members who have given their time and effort to improve their communities.

Mazzina, 84, lives in the home she was born in. She has volunteered her time at Los Banos' senior center, helped raise funds for cancer research and assisted in improving the plight of the homeless, among many other things.

She said her generosity began as she was trying to find something to do with her life after she ended her employment as an office manager with the city of Los Banos.

"I retired in 1985," Mazzina said. "I always worked. I don't like sitting around and doing nothing."

There are 55 Rotary Clubs within the 12 areas that make up the Central Valley district. Los Banos, Dos Palos, Gustine, Newman and Patterson are in area five.

Los Banos Rotary Club President Dick Gerbi said representatives from all of the cities agreed Mazzina should be their 2006 honoree.

Gerbi said the octogenarian is an example of the type of person that Rotarians typically look to bestow with the citizen of the year award.

"From the time I moved to this town 37 years ago Tesse has volunteered," he said.

As one of the citizens of the year Mazzina will have $1,000 given to the Rotary International Foundation in her name.

Saturday's event, which is expected to have 700 people in attendance, will include a tour of the UC Merced campus and video presentations of the 12 people being honored.

Mazzina said she will attend the dinner, but is hoping she doesn't have to address the audience.

"They better not," she said in reply to being asked if event organizers wanted her to make a speech. "I'll cry and flood the place."

In a press release Robert Hobbs, district 5220's governor, praised all of the people chosen by the Rotary Clubs.

"We are thrilled to honor such worthy individuals," he said. "These 12 citizens of the year truly exemplify what Rotary's all about--'service above self.'"

Rotary was founded in 1905 by Paul Harris in Chicago. It is a non-profit international service organization of 1.2 million professionals who voluntarily address needs locally and around the world. There are reportedly more than 31,000 Rotary Clubs in 166 countries.