Nominations sought for Canine Corners Dog Park volunteers

From brochure

Rockford Park District is seeking nominations for the Kathryn A. Norman Volunteer Award on behalf of Canine Corners.

Kathryn A. Norman, daughter of long-time Rockford Park District Executive Director Webbs Norman, deeply appreciated the natural beauty of parks and trails, and found joy in watching dogs romp and play off leash at Canine Corners Dog Park in Searls Park. This was Kathy’s favorite park area, where she spent hours with her two Bernese mountain dogs, Biko and Darby. She thought so much of the friends she made at the dog park, and she instilled a spirit of camaraderie, greeting all with a warm smile. She valued her dog park friends and was a passionate advocate for the parks, championing their ongoing development and the importance of bringing dogs and their owners together.

Kathryn A. Norman was born July 25, 1964, and passed away Dec. 31, 2008, after an extended illness. A memorial statue and bench were dedicated in her honor Sept. 26, 2010, and placed along the trail in her memory as a reminder to stop and enjoy the beauty and serenity of nature around us.

In April 2012, two long-time Canine Corners volunteers and advisory group members approached the Rockford Park District about creating a volunteer award in Kathy’s name as a tribute to her dedication to Canine Corners. As a result, the Kathryn A. Norman Canine Corners Volunteer Award Program was developed. Every year, one exceptional Canine Corners volunteer will be selected, and honored at an annual awards banquet.

Criteria for nomination

Nominations are sought for Canine Corners Dog Park volunteers who have gone above and beyond to volunteer their time and talents at Canine Corners during work days, at the yearly open house, and for time spent promoting Canine Corners at various dog events held throughout the community. Nominations will be forwarded to the selection committee for review.

Deadline for nominations is Friday, Oct. 12. Nomination forms are available at the Rockford Park District, and completed nomination forms may be dropped off in person or mailed to: Attn: Julie Bracken, Rockford Park District, 401 S. Main St., Rockford, IL 61101.

Once the selection committee receives the nomination forms, all actions necessary to the selection process shall remain confidential; one nominee will be selected annually. Canine Corners retains all information submitted. Incomplete nomination forms will be returned to the nominee, and may be resubmitted after Nov. 1, 2012, for consideration the following year.

From the Oct. 10-16, 2012, issue