By Brian Trompeter
The Fairfax County Park Authority Board on Nov. 17 honored dozens of outstanding volunteers and philanthropists for their service and valuable contributions to parks at the annual Elly Doyle Park Service Awards Ceremony on Nov. 17.
Former Park Board Chairman Elly Doyle attended the event, the master of ceremonies for which was WRC-TV anchor and Fairfax County native Jummy Olabanji.
This year’s honorees were:
• Elly Doyle Park Service Awards:
–Youth Award: Hiking Heroes.
–Special Recognition Award: Patrick Evans.
–Service Award: Early Detection Response Team.
The Elly Doyle Park Service Awards are among the highest and distinguished honors bestowed by the Fairfax County Park Authority. Awardees have exemplified, through their service and support of park programs, the best attributes and qualities that help the Fairfax County park system thrive.
• Chairman’s Choice Award: Retiring Supervisors John Foust (D-Dranesville) and Penelope Gross (D-Mason) and former Park Authority Board Chairman William Bouie.
This award recognizes outstanding long-term service to, and advocacy on behalf of, the Park Authority and honors those who have provided a critical contribution to the agency and helped sustain and expand its nationally accredited facilities and programs.
• Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Awards: Colleen Cannon and Larry Newman.
This award honors significant, tangible contributions made by individuals, organizations or businesses that help accomplish the Park Authority’s strategic priority to enhance diversity system-wide and foster a culture of inclusion in parks and/or within the surrounding community.
• Harold L. Strickland Partnership and Collaboration Award: The Analemma Society, an astronomy group based in Great Falls.
This award honors significant long-term accomplishments that provide Fairfax County residents with tangible examples of the benefits of partnerships and collaborations that help to sustain or grow service to the community, while reducing the need for Fairfax County Park Authority financial resources to accomplish the service delivery.
• Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Awards: Fairfax Parks Coalition and Fair Parks Initiative.
This award recognizes individuals and organizations whose actions embody the spirit and values of stewardship and result in tangible environmental benefits.
• Fairfax County Park Foundation Eakin Philanthropy Awards: Arlene Evans and Barry Dewberry,Friends of Hidden Oaks Nature Center, and the Morrisette Family and Interstate Moving, Relocation and Logistics.
The annual award honors financial or in-kind contributions by people and organizations that significantly have enhanced Fairfax County parks through the Foundation.
• 2023 Outstanding Volunteer Awards: Harold Adams, Charles “Chuck” Basham, Diane Bierwirth, Celia Boertlein, Carol Burns, Robert Coblenz, Josefina “Jo” Doumbia, Kitisia “Kit” Grandin-Parker, Laura Handle, Junko “JK” Klimek, Erick Lermo, Eva Novak, Chris Reynolds, Sharon Sellers, Jamie Ogden, Stephanie Smith, Gene Sullivan, Bryan Tucillo, Sophie Wehmueller, Henry Wells, Christina Wenks and William “Bill” White.
More than 9,645 volunteers powered FCPA’s parks in fiscal year 2023. They contributed 112,000 hours of volunteer service, taking on tasks the Park Authority is not staffed to do, and are a critical component in the success of the park system, officials said. Based on national statistics and measures, the tangible value of the volunteers’ efforts is $3.5 million.
“The Fairfax County Park Authority established these awards to honor and celebrate the individuals and organizations that help our park system thrive,” said Park Authority Board Chairman Kiel Stone. “Each award recognizes a distinct set of standards and characteristics – inspired by the legacy of service demonstrated by our former Chairman Elly Doyle – that are vital to the success of our park system and all those who enjoy it.”
Individual stories and video tributes may be found at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/awards/ellydoyle.
The annual awards program was instituted in 1988 and is hosted by the Fairfax County Park Authority in partnership with the Fairfax County Park Foundation. For more information about the awards program or this year’s honorees, e-mail parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.
