National Volunteer Week: Local Tennesseans Receive National Volunteer Service Awards

Yesterday, in commemoration of National Volunteer Week, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne recognized three outstanding park volunteers with Take Pride in America’s “Secretarial Volunteer Service Award.” Each award winner gave more than 3,000 hours of service. National Volunteer Week is held from April 27 to May 3, and is designed to both thank volunteers for their service, and to highlight the ways they improve their communities.

Sid Davis, Claudia Konker, and Dan Lawson are all volunteers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and came to the Secretary’s attention through Take Pride in America®, a national Department of the Interior program that promotes volunteer service on America’s public lands.

“In celebration of National Volunteer Week, it is an honor to present these three remarkable volunteers with our Secretarial Volunteer Service Award,” Secretary Kempthorne said. “These volunteers have all given greatly of themselves to our national parks, and I thank them for their service.”

“Sid, Claudia, and Dan have each made a lasting impression on Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” said Katie Loovis, Executive Director, Take Pride in America. “Their years of service are an inspiration to us all, and show the difference that we can each make in our parks and public lands.”