VOLUNTEERS
Award Winners and All-Star Volunteers
By Diane Taylor , Coordinator of Volunteers
The Louisville Zoo ’ s Volunteer Appreciation and Recognition Dinner was held Sunday , August 6 , 2017 . A rainy start turned into a great evening with over 650 volunteers , family and friends in attendance . Two major awards are given out each year : the Jonathon Michael Heaton Award to recognize an outstanding youth volunteer , and the Diane Taylor Spirit Award to an outstanding adult volunteer .
2017 Jonathon Michael Heaton Award Carl Adrian Grief
Carl ’ s work ethic and performance quickly earned him the respect and trust of Glacier Run keeper staff . Carl puts tremendous care into all that he does with keen attention to detail : making sure fish is cut and sorted properly , his workstation is clean and orderly and all surfaces are cleaned thoroughly after morning diets are completed . In addition to his work performance , Carl has some of the most important qualities that Jon Heaton also possessed : positive attitude , trustworthiness and a strong dedication to the Louisville Zoo .
2017 Diane Taylor Spirit Award Donald ( Don ) H . Blanton
You ’ ve probably passed Don many times on the Zoo ’ s front plaza , greeting guests , answering questions and waving at children in his brightly colored shirt and big safari hat . A people-person through and through , Don has always been willing to take on any task during his more than 20 years of volunteering at the Zoo . Don has been a huge help to our sponsorship department particularly in recent years , lending a hand during Mother ’ s Day , Throo the Zoo 5K , Kindergarten Countdown , the Norton Healthcare Walking Expo , Halloween party nights , Santa ' s Safari and many more . “ The Zoo really is my second home . I spend so much time over here in spring , summer and fall that people must think I sleep under a bush ,” Don said . Kind and generous with his time , Don certainly has the spirit deserving of this award .
Did you know ?
On Oct . 21 , 2017 our Coordinator of Volunteers Diane Taylor , was recognized by UPS for her 10 years of contributions and support for the UPS Halloween at the Zoo during their annual Global Volunteer Month . To date , UPS volunteers have donated nearly 2 million hours over the past 15 years during Global Volunteer Month alone . Diane has been our Coordinator of Volunteers for over 29 years . Thanks to Diane and UPS for all their hard work .
Halloween 2017
Many thanks to all those individuals , group and organization members who volunteered their precious gift of time during the Zoo ’ s Halloween Party . Over 1,392 volunteers contributed 10,093 hours , providing a happy Halloween experience for 71,316 pirates and princesses and saving the Zoo $ 90,841 . Special thanks to UPS who assisted with set-up and breakdown . All of our Zoo volunteers truly are the BEST !
22 • Louisville Zoo Trunkline • Winter 2017