The Peachtree City Parks and Recreation Department has recently had staff members and volunteers receive awards from the Georgia Parks and Recreation Association.

Two student volunteers, Matt McMahan and Brian Huefner, were named “Volunteers of the Year” by the GRPA 4th District for their work as co-chairmen of the Youth Council Serving Fayette County. Bonnie Mullikin was named the GRPA State Volunteer of the Year for 2007.

Carolyn Stanton, manager of leisure programs, was presented with the “Mike Daniel Award” and Program Coordinator Jim O’Connell received the Marketing & Visibility Committee Publication Award for producing the “Youth Athletic Association Info Guide.”

McMahan and Huefner helped organize the Teen Volunteer Clean Up Day, worked on the city-sponsored “Kidz Fest,” coordinated a Golf Cart Scavenger Hunt, planned the youth council meetings and help put together trivia nights. Both helped to plan the six teen concerts held in 2007, attended by more than 1,500 teens. Both McMahan and Huefner have served four years on the Youth Council.

Mullikin was the first Volunteer of the Year for PTC Parks & Recreation Department’s TEAM (Together Efforts Are Magnified) volunteer program working several city-sponsored events and numerous other projects, including the monthly blood drives hosted by the Gathering Place.

Mullikin became a full time instructor for the exercise program of the Arthritis Foundation on a voluntary basis so that exercise could be available to seniors three mornings a week at very low cost. She has also been a program presenter, sharing her extensive collections and hobbies with various audiences. In addition Mullikin also answered the phone weekly as a front desk volunteer, crafted many decorations and projects to benefit Gathering Place groups (like decorating over 100 miniature red hats for club membership name tags), and assisted in creating a picture quilt wall-hanging to showcase groups for the 10th anniversary of The Gathering Place.

The greatest gift Mullikin has offered in her 12 years of continuous service is her willingness to fill whatever need is identified and to involve others for their own benefit while serving her community with her talents and enthusiasm.

Stanton’s Mike Daniel Award is the state’s highest honor for programmers. The award recognizes excellence at the programming level. Nominees are judged on their implementation and supervision of their agency’s programs, involvement in other professional organizations, leadership service, and community service as well as local, state or national presentations made, and the production of articles, pamphlets, handbooks and manuals used in their work. Carolyn began her career as a program coordinator with the City in 1985 and was promoted to manager of leisure programs in 1995. She is a certified parks and recreation professional through the National Park and Recreation Association.

O’Connell’s guide on youth athletic associations is a laminated card listing all the sports associations with their registration information, contact numbers and web site information. It is colorful and designed to be kept in the home for easy access to details needed by parents on youth athletic programs in Peachtree City.

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