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April's "Star Volunteer" Winners
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Volunteer Spotlight
Star Award: April 2010
Six volunteers received the park district's "Star Volunteer" award, Wednesday, April 21, during a meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners.
The recipients were Bill Hazlett and Bill Wilkerson of Akron, Bill Barnes of Copley, Dick Bennett and Ron Schneider of Cuyahoga Falls and Doug Dawes of Stow.
Sharon White, customer service coordinator at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, nominated the group for their 11 years of service to the Fall Hiking Spree shield assistance program. "They're a great group of guys who provide a much-needed service to hiking spree participants," said White.
For years, visitors had requested help attaching shields to their hiking staffs, which is said to be harder than completing the eight required hikes. So in 2000, Barnes, a 46-year Fall Hiking Spree veteran, started the program and recruited more volunteers. "Attaching the shields can be difficult for many people," said Barnes. "If you don’t do it just right, you'll bend a lot of nails."
Each year, the group offers at least five shield assistance programs and installs more than 1,000 shields. Although the service is free, donations to the Metro Parks are accepted and typically generate about $2,000 each year.
The annual Fall Hiking Spree runs September 1 through November 30. Visitors need to complete at least eight designated trails to earn rewards.
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