"Thank You" from Superintendent Dave Uberuaga

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

A great time of celebration was enjoyed Saturday evening at the Longmire Community Building for the annual Volunteer Recognition Picnic. Current Mount Rainier volunteers, Student Conservation Association, Conservation Land Corps and the newly-arrived Japanese Volunteers-in-Parks Association (JVIPA), were recognized for their contributions to the park and joined park staff to enjoy a great potluck dinner. The JVIPA group will spend the next three weeks helping with campground construction and revegetation projects in the park.

Special Volunteer Service Awards were presented to the following Mount Rainier Volunteers:

• 10 Year Service Award: Myra Leicester, a Patrol Ranger at Sunrise with 2,329 hours of service.
• 15 Year Service Awards: Dinni Fabiani, a Trails Assistant with 762 hours of service; and Jack Leicester, a Patrol Ranger at Sunrise with 4878 hours of service.
• 25 Year Service Award: Jeanne Friend, who’s served in many capacities over the years since 1983, most recently conducting historical research, with 7,439 hours of service.
• 500 Hour Service Award: Robert McRae, Meadow Rover at Sunrise since 2001.
• 1,000 Hour Service Award: Arlington Ashby, climbing ranger since 2006; Darlene Chauvin, Campground Host at Ohanapecosh since 2002; Peter Jewell, Climbing Ranger since 2005; Eileen Kruegal, Meadow Rover at Sunrise since 2001; Carol Miltimore, Eastside Wilderness Ranger since 2006; Jim Miltimore, Eastside Wilderness Ranger since 2005; and Sam Wick, Climbing Ranger since 2006.
• 2,000 Hour Service Award: David Minzel, Eastside Wilderness Ranger since 2002.
• 3,000 Hour Service Award: Tyler Chilman, Carbon River Patrol Ranger since 1997.
• 5,000 Hour Service Award: Jack Leicester, Sunrise Patrol Ranger since 1993.
• 9,000 Hour Service Award: Flash Parlini, Carbon River Patrol Ranger since 1991.
• Take Pride in America Secretarial Volunteer Service Awards (for 3000 volunteer hours): Tyler Chilman and Phil Winn, Eastside Wilderness Ranger since 1995.
• Take Pride in America Presidential Volunteer Service Awards (for 4000 hours of service): George Coulbourn, Carbon River Patrol Ranger since 1997; Jack Leicester; and Bob and Jeri Shaffer, Westside Wilderness Rangers since 1991.
• Volunteer Passes (for 500 hours of service beginning January 1, 2007) were presented to: James Anderson, Paradise Interpreter and Student Conservation Association intern; Arlington Ashby, Climbing Ranger; Karl Brummert, Education Assistant; Christina Gooch, Sunrise Interpreter and Geoscientist-in-Park through the Geologic Society of America; Ruth Graves, Paradise Interpreter; Rachel Landman, Paradise Interpreter and Geoscientist-in-Park; Michael Powell, Geographic Information Specialist and Student Conservation Association intern; and Sam Wick, Climbing Ranger.

When you add all these hours together, the totals are amazing and we are so fortunate to have all of these great folks at Mount Rainier. Plus there many more park volunteers working every day or every weekend in the park, who have not quite reached these totals yet, but are on their way. And this year we have the additional help from the Student Conservation Association, Conservation Land Corps, Washington Trails Association, REI and many other new volunteers who have come to help us with our flood recovery.

We appreciate all the work you have done and continue to do. Thank You!!