Volunteer Appreciation re-cap

Nearly 200 WTA volunteers filled Seattle REI’s upstairs meeting room on Friday evening for a look back at their great accomplishments in 2009.  

As a prelude to the program, volunteers enjoyed some light food and mingled with fellow volunteers as a slide show of pictures from trips in 2009 flashed across the big screen (compiled by volunteers Dick Axon and Greg Friend). 

WTA staff scoop ice cream

Twenty minutes before the program commenced, WTA staffers announced it was time for ice cream and proceeded to dish out nearly 200 scoops of locally made gourmet ice cream donated by Seattle’s Molly Moon’s.

Once the program portion of the evening began, so did the calisthenics: volunteers were asked to stand/sit in response to a series of questions designed to highlight the number of times they joined a work party in 2009 or where they volunteered across the state. Impressive it was! Land managers from the various agencies who oversee the trails we hike and maintain offered thanks and praise for the quality and quantity of work that volunteers contributed to trails in 2009. Many deserving volunteers walked away with a great donated raffle prize or door prize.  

The highlight of the night was recognizing the volunteers who were inducted into one of WTA's Trail Maintenance Hall-of-Fame categories:

Crosscut Saw Club

Recognition of 500 or more volunteer days! WTA has the pleasure of having exceptionally dedicated volunteers. These volunteers have contributed 500 + days to trail maintenance across the state since they began volunteering with WTA!

Pete Dewell, Jim Knoke, Mike Owens, Bill Sunderland

Full Bench Club

Recognition of 250 or more volunteer days! A full bench is constructed by cutting the full width of the tread into the hillside.  Full-bench construction requires more effort and time but will be more durable and require less maintenance over time.

Pete Dewell, Laurie Hill, Joe Hofbeck, Jim Knoke, Janice O'Connor, Mike Owens, Steve Sallee, Bud Silliman, Jim Springberg, Gary Stock, Bill Sunderland, Ted Wendel, Gary Zink

Trail Crew Saw

These people were awarded a personalized hand saw for reaching 50 or more volunteer days!

Jane Baker, Shane Ballweg, Walter Dawson, Kara Chin, Rod Farlee, Dave Harrington, Sandra Hays, John Hultquist, David Kessler, Richard Mellon, Carol Miltimore, James Miltimore, Charles Minor, Richey Morgan, Robert Plaag, Bret Richmond, Sonya Rodgers, Jay Setzer

Trail Crew Vests

These people were awarded a WTA logo vest for reaching 25 or more volunteer days!

Tad Anderson, Denise Beardslee, Karen Behm, Clifford Clark, John Clark, Sally Davies, Jim Davis, Paul Dini, Bill Durbin, Barbara Eller, Philippe Enos, Cheli Evans, Geoff Filion, Tomoe Humphres, Carol Johnson, Gregory Kamer, Michaelene Kedzierski, Ted Klump, Patrick J. Koepsell, Steven Leifheit, Tom Mayernik, Max Miner, Ken Mondal, Mizuho Naka, Jonathan Papageorge, Bret Richmond, Alan Rither, Ed Rozmyn, Mia J Rozmyn, Virginia Sarver, Rik Scairpon, Paul Scheiner, Jim Scrafford, Jay Setzer, Daniel Weinstein

Thanks again to WTA's Funding Partners, Boeing and REI, for supporting WTA volunteers!