Miss Deborah Albuoy, an assistant accountant at the Argus Insurance Company, is a walking example of the power of one.

Over the year and a half, for example, that she has volunteered at Agape House, the Island's highly regarded hospice for terminally ill patients, she recognised a need for a number of vital resources at the facility, including a better system of transportation, which she set about (initially single-handedly) to secure.

"The patients at the hospice are often taken out to visit their friends and relatives or they're just taken out for drives,'' Miss Albuoy, who lives in Warwick, told Community . "They really needed a form of general transportation at Agape House. It was time for it.'' So what, then, did Miss Albuoy envision as a means of getting that transport? A corporate-sponsored golf tournament/fundraiser is what, held at the Port Royal Golf Course on a sunny Saturday last October, the proceeds of which were applied to acquiring some much-needed wheels for the hospice.

And the ultimate result? A brand new Nissan Urvan, white in colour, fitted during design to accommodate two wheelchairs and the special hydraulic lift that will hoist them into and out of the vehicle.

"Everybody (at Agape House) is really happy with it,'' Miss Albuoy said of the van, which arrived on the Island on June 22 and was officially presented to the hospice in a handing-over ceremony on July 4. "All of the staff has expressed its thanks, and Hilary Soares (who runs the facility) was particularly pleased. It runs well.'' Now, the acquisition of a single vehicle may seem relatively uncomplicated, but it wasn't really, and Miss Albuoy's success stands as a testimony to the positive results that can be achieved by a single individual.

"It was a lot of hard work,'' the volunteer admitted of her efforts, which were totally unsolicited. "Most of it came in October, as (the golf tournament) came closer. But it did involve work over a few months in total.'' Realising, after a few initial exercises, that she could not possibly handle every aspect of the project solitarily, Miss Albuoy put together a sort of ad hoc organising committee, which included herself, Ms Charmaine Lampit, Ms Donnette Caisey and top amateur golfer and former Miss Bermuda Ms Madeline Joell.

"They're all good friends of mine,'' Miss Albuoy explained. "Madeline in particular is a good golfer, and I asked her if she would help me organise a golf tournament for Agape House. Being a generous person, she agreed to it right away, and it sort of went from there.'' "There'', over the course of a few months, ultimately led to the Port Royal Golf Course on October 22, when over 112 men and women took part in the tournament, although more turned out.

"We couldn't accommodate everyone that came. We had to turn some of them away,'' Miss Albuoy remembered. "But it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon.'' In some respects, Miss Albuoy and her organising committee had done their preliminary work too well, contacting as many corporate sponsors as they could (each of the participants paid anywhere from $65 to $1,000 to acquire a slot in the tournament) and generating a flurry of interest.

"We sent out letters to everyone in the community,'' Miss Albuoy said of their fundraising tactics. "Companies, organisations, local merchants -- anyone who might have been interested in participating.'' The result, of course, was an abundance of corporate sponsors, an overcapacity crowd on tournament day and an ultimate monetary intake of some $40,000.

The tournament, incidentally, was won by Mr. Robin Spencer-Arscott in the men's division and Ms Donna Jones in the women's.

Each of the winners was awarded a round-trip ticket to New York, which was provided to the organisers -- at Miss Albuoy's solicitation -- by American Airlines.

But while the golf tournament, which covered both the purchasing of the van and its own operating expenses, proved an undeniable success, it was by no means the end of Miss Albuoy's mission for the hospice. After the tournament was over, she still had to shop for a van that would suit the facility's needs, eventually settling on the specially designed six-seater, which was built in the United States.

And once, moreover, the van had made it here, there was also the question of insurance, the cost of which was ultimately covered (again at Miss Albuoy's urging) by the company that employs her, Hamilton-based Argus.

"A lot of the credit for that belongs to Argus' managing director, Mr. E.J.

Sainsbury,'' Miss Albuoy said. "He in particular deserves mention.'' And what, on the subject of credit, of Miss Albuoy herself? What, in terms of recognition, does she feel she deserves? According to the volunteer, who goes in three times a week to Agape House for two to three hours after work, the thanks that the hospice's staff has already offered is plenty, although she was, she said, genuinely touched by one gesture in particular.

"I had the honour,'' Miss Albuoy told Community , "of driving (the van) down when it came. That was very nice.'' As if inspired by her newfound role of super-volunteer, Miss Albuoy is currently contemplating some new fundraising projects to meet the hospice's needs, which, she didn't hesitate to add, are many.

"Plans have been made with Bermuda Island Cruises,'' she revealed, "to hold a fundraising charity cruise in August for Agape House.

"The purpose of the cruise is to purchase two hoists for use with a bed and bath. I personally would like two hoists for Agape House -- one for the upstairs and the other for downstairs.'' Who ever said that one -- in this case a single committed woman -- is a lowly number? A VAN FOR ALL SEASONS -- Agape House volunteer Miss Deborah Albuoy (third from left) hands over the keys to the van she worked tirelessly to acquire to Agape administrator Mrs. Hilary Soares (in the van).