At least it wasn’t snowing I heard one volunteer say on a very windy, cold, rainy day at Lake Anna State Park as 20 volunteers braved the blustery, gray, wet day to help out with a few projects that were in need of people power.
Dominion Volunteers sitting on their finished product
When I arrived on the scene, the team was working very hard, in the damp chill with smiles and determination on their faces. I stepped out of my nice warm vehicle and caught my breathe as the cold temperature and chilly wind cut through my light jacket. I said to one of the crew that I can’t believe you all volunteered to work in this weather. He said, this is so much better that the time they built the outdoor classroom in the woods. The temperature was over 100 degrees and they were running the auger and were sweating so much a few people were “falling out”. He said this weather is wonderful! I just shivered as my teeth chattered!
Bringing down the picnic shelter canopies for the season
Three groups of male and female employees from the local Dominion station where on hand to:
1. Assembled a wooden guard rail system in the picnic area B in order to help with traffic control and parking in that area, keeping the erosion down on the side of the road
2. Old rotten 6×6 timbers were removed around parking lot islands in the boat ramp parking lot. Then the ground surface was prepared and leveled for new timbers. New timbers were cut and used to replace the old ones. Holes were drilled in the timbers and the re-bar from the old timbers was recycled and driven into the ground to hold the new timbers in place.
3. Two park picnic shelter tents were dismantled. The tents are 20’x40’ and are taken off the reservations system during the winter month and stored away. The group removed the support legs and lowered the tent down onto picnic tables so park staff can later wash and but the tents into storage for the year.
4. Other folks walked the park shoreline in the main use area to pick up any trash they could find in the rip-rap.
Out with the old and in with the new
I asked Page Kemp – Management Advisor and Job Foreman for Dominion volunteers did other programs such “The Day of Caring” where they fixed up an elderly person’s house. Employees also part of Keep Virginia Beautiful, adopting 2 and ½ miles of Route 700. Last summer 20 volunteers cleaned up the roadside and picked up 63 extra large bags of trash.
The team took a break to eat lunch at the Picnic Shelter in B. Thick sandwiches and gooey sweet cookies were consumed to fuel up for the afternoon’s activities. Some of us were using the hot coffee to warm our hands and steel our constitutions! If you can't tell by now, I am a cold weather wimp!
Digging down deep!
There was lots of hard work, laughter, congenial joking and prodding but not one complaint!I truly enjoyed meeting everyone that day and am so appreciative of the work they did. Thank you so much to the volunteers from Lake Anna State Park is looking even better!
Edna Musser manning the desk at a previous Dominion event
On a personal note I would like to mention someone very special to all of us atDominion for 14 years and I do not think she has ever slowed down. Keep us all inspired Edna!
If this story has inspired you or your company to volunteer and give back to the community, please contact a Virginia State Park near you for more information or check out our Friends of Lake Anna State Park please call the park office at (540)854-5503.