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Park Perspectives: Hoover Days will honor volunteers
by Pete Swisher, Hoover Park Superintendent · Op-Ed · August 03, 2017


Themes are important. Each year, the Hoover’s Hometown Days planning committee considers what should be the theme for the next year’s event.


In 2015, we “honored our heritage” all the while giving a nod to the 50-year anniversary of the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

In 2016, we were all invited to “find your park” as we celebrated the first 100 years of the National Park Service as custodian for 417 special places that tell remarkable stories about our nation, along with our local, county, and state held recreation areas.

This year our theme for Hoover’s Hometown Days is ‘honoring volunteers’ which also gestures to Herbert Hoover himself, known for his coordination of aid 90 years ago during the Great Mississippi River Floods after which he said “I suppose I could have called in the whole of the Army, but what was the use? All I had to do was call in Main Street itself.” At the time, Hoover served as Secretary of Commerce under President Calvin Coolidge, and it was then that Hoover gained notoriety for his efforts during such a trying time.

The spirit of volunteerism continues every day not only here but across this country. In 2016, nearly 340,000 volunteers stood with approximately 22,000 employees of the National Park Service, contributing more than 8 million hours of service in support of our National Parks. Locally, we are fortunate to have wonderful volunteers at the Herbert Hoover NHS who tend to gardens, provide educational tours, and work in our Visitor Center greeting guests every day. Some of our volunteers even move on to paid positions with the Service all across the country.

Volunteers support our schools, health care organizations, community service groups, and even our democratic election processes. We volunteer because we believe that something is worthwhile, and that our time is needed.

Hoover was not much different in this regard; he lived in a turbulent time of great change, recognized need and took action. His efforts with the Commission for Relief of Belgium (CRB) during World War I and later again after World War II afforded him the title of Great Humanitarian. Like many of our volunteers today who go about their work without a request for recognition, so too did Hoover who felt his contributions did not require public acknowledgement.

As you enjoy this year’s annual celebration, I would ask that you thank the numerous volunteers who help to make this event the huge success it is each year.

They aren’t asking for it, but I guarantee they will appreciate it. And if by chance you feel the time is right, consider what talents you have that may be of help to any one of the fantastic organizations in the area who would gladly accept your contributions as a volunteer.