Sanders park district’s top volunteer
The Wayne County Park District and Friends of the Park recently named Craig Sanders their 2024 Volunteer of the Year. Sanders coordinated many large-scale projects at Barnes Preserve including an observation deck.
Each January the Wayne County Park District and Friends of the Park recognize one volunteer for going above and beyond and honor that individual with the Volunteer of the Year.
At this year’s award ceremony, Craig Sanders was honored as Volunteer of the Year for his contributions to the Barnes Preserve. Sanders and his fellow Kiwanians built a large Americans with Disabilities Act observation deck overlooking Kohler’s Wetland Pond, and they constructed 600 feet of boardwalk for the mulched trails at Barnes Preserve.
“I have been involved with Barnes Preserve since before it was officially a park,” Sanders said. “Me and it have some history. It is a fantastic place; it allows people not exposed to nature to come out and experience it. You can also see it from the comfort of an asphalt walking path.”
Barnes Preserve is a fully accessible 76-acre nature park located at 3396 Sylvan Road. It includes nearly a mile of ADA paved trails, a wetland pond, a meadow, mature woods, a frog pond and an observation deck for visitors to view wildlife in their natural habitat.
Sanders, the vice president of design at Freeman Building Systems, is the first choice of park commissioner Carole Van Pelt when a construction project is scheduled.
“I can count on Craig and the Wooster Kiwanis,” Van Pelt said. “He has been invaluable, and we are fortunate to be able to call upon him and to know it will be done right. He is community-minded, he serves on Wooster City Council, is a member of Kiwanis and is involved with the Boy Scouts, but he makes time to coordinate projects at the preserve.”
Preserve volunteers dedicate their time and energy to ensure the park, trails and recreational areas remain clean, safe and enjoyable.
“I’m honored to accept the award, but ultimately, most of the work was done by Kiwanis Club members,” Sanders said. “I was there to ensure the outcome was what it was meant to be. The dedication of everyone involved with the preserve is second to none. They strive to provide a jewel of a park to the county.”
To learn more about Barnes Preserve, visit www.waynecountyparkdistrict.org.
Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for Wayne County.