NATCHEZ — Sometimes, what you need at the end of a long day — even a good day — is somebody standing by, ready to give you a good drink.

For years, Rick Freeman has been just that person standing by for pilots who flew in the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, and this weekend he was honored with the Spirit of Steckler Award.

Freeman said he considered the recognition “a real honor.”

Named after the late Dr. David Steckler — a community icon and longtime supporter of the balloon race who died in 1999 after a battle with cancer — the award is meant to honor a deserving volunteer of the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race.

The Steckler Award is given to a volunteer who has “given with spirit and commitment, unselfishly, to benefit both the Natchez balloon event and the community.”

“The goal of the award is to find an unsung hero, and that is what Rick depicts,” balloon race committee member Candi Davis said.

“There are hundreds of volunteers, two dozen committee members who work all year, who all work very, very hard, but there are some people who are behind the scenes that people don’t really know what their contribution is, and that is what David Steckler and the Steckler spirit award is about.”

Freeman has volunteered with the balloon event since it started, but for the past 14 years he has managed the hospitality at the VIP tent, including serving as a bartender. He also helps out in the setup of other areas of the festival.

“It is all just great fun,” Freeman said. “To get to see all the people and meet all of the pilots and everybody, I really enjoy it.”

Davis said Freeman was also instrumental in the move years ago to collect the barricades and barriers used around the city for parades, race events and the balloon festival.

“He was a city worker at the time who saw the need for each of those festivals, as they would have funding, to buy some barricades, and he spearheaded that effort,” Davis said.

“He saw the need for something greater, that would make crowd control and events safer for everybody.”

Freeman also contributed to the community by introducing youth soccer to the area, and has been a coach for many years, she said.

Freeman said he has always been glad to be a part of the balloon race festivities, but the award was a surprise.

“I always knew the people who had been awarded, but I never thought about it (for myself), so it really surprised me,” he said.

A plaque honoring all Steckler award winners is displayed perpetually at the Natchez Visitor’s Reception Center.