Regional Awards Honor Volunteers 

On April 9, 2010, the National Capital Region of the National Park Service held its seventh annual George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer ServiceCeremony.  Among those honored was long-time C&O Canal Association member Karen Gray, who received the regional award for Enduring Service Volunteer for her 33 years of varied service for the C&O Canal National Historical Park.  Her accomplishments have included managing the digitization of Harlan Unrau’s “Historic Resource Study of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal,” a work of major significance for interpretation and cultural resources in the park, playing an active role in the C&O Canal Association, walking as a “Levelwalker” along a nine-mile stretch of the canal, and serving as docent at Lockhouse 75.  She has devoted over 635 hours of her time to the park in FY 2009, bringing her total volunteer hours up to 3,296.  Not only is she one of the longest-serving volunteers in the park, but is also one of the most active.   

Others recognized for contributions in support of the canal park included William “Bud” Cline, who received the regional Outstanding Individual Park Volunteer Award for multiple activities as a “weed warrior,” Bike Patroller, “eagle watcher,” and participant in the Canal Quartermasters program of the C&O Canal Trust. The C&O Canal Trust Scanning Team received the Outstanding Park Volunteer Group Award for helping to make over four thousand historic photographs available on-line.C&O Canal Volunteers In Park (VIP) Program received the regional award for Outstanding Park Volunteer Program, taking into account the expansion of its scope of operations, the 75,765 volunteer hours worked in 2009, and the 23 percent increase in the numbers of volunteers from the previous year. All of the regional nominees will be submitted to the nationwide Take Pride in America public lands volunteerism recognition program. 

The above is adapted from an NPS National Capital Region publication. 

Click to read other articles on volunteer awards for 2009, 2008, and FY 2007.

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