A proclamation in celebration of National Volunteer Month
The Board of Park Commissioners adopted a proclamation at their regular meeting on Monday, April 14th in recognition of National Volunteer Month. In celebration of their work, three volunteers who have contributed significantly to Parks Tacoma attended the meeting and accepted the proclamation.
Danny Patnode is the volunteer steward of McKinley Park on Tacoma’s Eastside. He has volunteered at the park since 2010 and has played a key role in cleaning and revitalizing the space. Danny visits the park every day to continue his work making McKinley Park magical. Through volunteering, he has found a sense of purpose and personal fulfilment. Read more about Danny’s volunteer story here.
Pete Sluka is a Point Defiance Park Watch volunteer who founded the program back in 1997. His leadership and dedicated service have been making the park a safer place for our community ever since. He educates park guests on safe practices, keeps an eye out for danger, and keeps local authorities and park staff informed of any incidents in the park. Learn more about Pete’s volunteer story here.
Gail Sklar recently retired from her role as the volunteer Steward of China Lake Park, where since 2016 she worked tirelessly to remove invasive plants and replace them with native species. Her work has had a huge impact on protecting this natural wetland ecosystem and making the park more welcoming to visitors. She is known for her passion for native plants, as the current president of the Washington Native Plant Society, and homemade treats she baked for every volunteer work party.
WHEREAS, April is designated as National Volunteer Month; and
WHEREAS, volunteers are essential partners in every aspect of Parks Tacoma’s ability to serve our community in support of our mission; and
WHEREAS, volunteers represent a critical contingent of the inclusive workforce, an emerging concept in workforce development that presents key opportunities for increasing diversity, talent, retention and cost-effectiveness for our agency; and
WHEREAS, these contributions meet a broad range of needs across our District; volunteers serve as educators in our zoos and conservatory, historical interpreters at Fort Nisqually, coaches for youth sports, environmental stewards caring for our natural areas, advisory council and steering committee members, foundation board members providing advocacy and fund development, and as individuals and groups who provide support to our parks, community centers, zoos, special projects, and programs throughout our community; and
WHEREAS, hundreds of volunteers will join together to take part in Parks Appreciation Day celebrations at four sites across our District on April 19; and
WHEREAS, the time, talents, and passion of our volunteers provide indispensable support to Parks Tacoma and play a vital role in our nationally recognized parks and recreation system.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Park Commissioners do hereby recognize and celebrate April as National Volunteer Month and extend our deepest appreciation to the dedicated individuals who give freely of their time to support our spaces, programs and fellow community members.
The foregoing proclamation was adopted by the Board of Park Commissioners of the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma at a regularly scheduled meeting held on April 14, 2025.