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Park Volunteer Receives Governor’s Service Award
Faye Ordway Recognized for 20 Years of Service at Assateague State Park
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Faye Ordway of Worcester County recently received a Governor’s Volunteer Service Award for her 20 years of service as a campground liaison at Assateague State Park.
“Maryland is proud to recognize the strong service and conservation ethic of Mrs. Faye Ordway,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “Her dedicated service to Assateague State Park has been vital to park operations, and she continues to be an outstanding example of the positive impacts that one person volunteering her time can make within our communities.”
Ordway, affectionately known to park staff as “Miss Faye,” currently volunteers as liaison between 48 Assateague Campground Hosts and year-round Maryland Park Service staff. Maryland Park Service “Hosts” are volunteers from all over the United States who assist campers, clean sites, and encourage visitors to enjoy the park's facilities in an environmentally-friendly manner. Ordway oversees the hosts on a day to day basis, conducts volunteer orientation programs and diligently provides extra help during staffing shortages.
“Faye has been, and continues to be, a cornerstone of the Camp Host Program at Assateague State Park. Her time, energy and passion for the visitors and other volunteers at Assateague State Park are contagious,” said Mike Riley, Assateague State Park Manager. “Faye continues to grow and strengthen with every change to Assateague and the Maryland Park Service; because of this flexibility she will continue to be an essential member of the Assateague State Park family.”
Faye, her husband Cy, and their five children started camping at Assateague State Park in 1967, and have not missed a year since. She has been involved with the campground host program since it started in 1987, and also volunteers in the booths and ranger station. In 1993, Faye became the volunteer campground liaison, working with hosts to perform maintenance and whatever else needed to be done around the park. She has been instrumental in recruiting members for Friends of Assateague State Park as well as the Maryland Park Service’s volunteer ranger program.
“I am very proud of my work in the park, and very much appreciate being given the opportunity to participate,” said Ordway.
Maryland's only ocean park, Assateague State Park is located on Assateague Island, a barrier island bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by Sinepuxent Bay. Two miles of ocean beaches at the Park offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy swimming, beachcombing, sunbathing, surfing and fishing. The island's bayside offers visitors the chance to explore secluded coves by canoe or kayak. The marsh areas provide a home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, waterfowl and feral horses. Assateague State Park offers a full calendar of special events, and educational opportunities for youth, and was selected by National Geographic Travel magazine in 1994 as one of the 10 best state parks in the United States. In 2007, Assateague State Park welcomed more than 1,000,000 visitors, and almost 300,000 camped overnight.
For more information about Assateague State Park, visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/eastern/assateague.html.
April 28, 2008 Contact: Olivia Campbell
410-260-8016 office I 410-507-7525 cell
ocampbell@dnr.state.md.usThe Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov