Marciniak honored as volunteer of the year

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors recognized the volunteers of the year from each of the county departments April 4, including Department of Parks and Recreation volunteer of the year Paul Marciniak of Pala.

Marciniak has been a park host at Wilderness Gardens for the past seven years, and has provided more than 7,000 volunteer hours on behalf of that county park.

“I was glad we were able to recognize him,” said Cheryl Wegner, the volunteer coordinator for the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Marciniak lives on-site in his recreational vehicle.

“He’s very dedicated,” Wegner said of Marciniak. “He’s a really humble guy and he does a good job. He just goes about his business.”

While his work at the park includes trails maintenance and improvements, gate maintenance, weed abatement, and cleanup, Wegner also noted one incident which was not part of Marciniak’s normal park host activity. Late one night he heard a car driving on Highway 76 near Wilderness Gardens go off the road. Marciniak alerted emergency authorities, who arrived to find the car engulfed in flames but with no occupant inside. A search located the woman, who had been ejected from the vehicle. She was hospitalized but survived.

“The outcome would have been much more grim,” Wegner said of the difference Marciniak made after the accident occurred.

The Board of Supervisors not only recognized the volunteers of the year but also issued a proclamation declaring April to be County of San Diego Volunteer Appreciation Month.

“It gives us a chance to really say thank you,” said Board of Supervisors chair Ron Roberts. “This is a very important partnership to us to say the least.”

Volunteers save the county approximately $33 million annually in services. Last year the Department of Parks and Recreation benefited from approximately 94,000 volunteer hours which equated to a $1.9 million benefit. The figure does not include approximately 15,000 hours of court-ordered community service.

“Volunteers really do make parks better,” Wegner said. “It’s just really amazing what our volunteers accomplish during the course of the year.”

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