Volunteer Spotlight
Silver Springs Facility Closure Camping Area Maintenance Team
Volunteer Team of 3+ Award for Maintenance
The Silver Springs Facility Closure Camping Area Maintenance Team is a large, diverse team with several divisions split to utilize time and resources and tackle many projects while remaining socially distant and physically safe. No time was down time and no time was wasted. In 2020, they focused their energies on the entire 59-site campground with two bathhouses, 10 cabins and the day use area. From repairs to rejuvenation, this team made improvements for visitor safety, facility appearance and park functionality.
Catherine “Cat” Gorton has been a campground host at Silver Springs State Park for several seasons. She has contributed more than 1,364 hours. Larry Mathis is a longtime veteran multiple park campground host with more than 9,100 hours. Rod Taylor has also volunteered at numerous state parks with 1,025 hours.
Rusty and Alicia Ramsey have been resident volunteers at Silver Springs for four years. They started out as camp hosts and moved over last year to resident maintenance volunteers. Debra Welch is a new resident volunteer. She started as a campground host for one month, then she and husband Bill signed up for an additional three months as resident maintenance volunteers. This group of four volunteers contributed 2,861 volunteer hours.
Local residents Jane and Jim Kaufman have contributed 4,220 hours, and Lisa and Kevin Donnelly have volunteered a total of 540 hours. Both couples can be found helping out with a wide variety of volunteer projects, including river patrol, maintenance, events, administration and more.
Pete Ellis and Bill Hahn are new volunteers, having started just this past July and August. Pete has volunteered just over 200 hours and Bill just over 100. Volunteering in maintenance, they help with a wide variety of things including electrical, carpentry, cleaning and organizing the Springs Shop area, recycling and more.
2020 Florida State Parks Volunteer Recognition Award Winner