IRVINE

They help out in classrooms and school libraries. They organize grad nights. And, yes, they sometimes bake cookies to raise funds for student activities.

Last week, the Irvine Public Schools Foundation honored 35 parent volunteers for support that’s worth a bundle. This school year, Irvine’s 10,000 PTA members spent 253,445 hours volunteering in the city’s schools. At minimum-wage level, that adds up to about $1.5 million worth of staff time.

Each school nominated a volunteer for the awards, and a committee of judges from the community picked the winners for each school level. The schools each receive a $100 grant in the name of its Volunteer of the Year. The big winners receive $300 grants for their schools, with Irvine’s Volunteer of the Year taking home a $500 check for his or her school.

To receive the award “felt great,” said Sue Kuwabara, the high school Volunteer of the Year.