Five Honorees to Receive Special Park Authority Recognitions

The Fairfax County Park Authority will honor one group and four individuals with 2021 Elly Doyle Park Service Special Recognition Awards at a virtual volunteer celebration in November.

The Elly Doyle Park Service Special Recognition Awards will go to:

• The Oak Marr Rec Center Landscaping group, led by Oak Marr Rec Center Landscape Manager Laurie Short and longtime volunteer Bob Rogers, coordinates the design, acquisition and installation of plants and decorations at this Park Authority facility. The volunteers work year-round to create vibrant, inviting displays of color and texture with a variety of plants and structures. Volunteers Lisa Dickenson, Tom Eason, Debbie Humphreys, Mary Lee Loda, Bob Rogers, Alice Schipf and LindaWeissenborn consistently create a positive and inviting visual impact with beautiful and vibrant gardens that are welcoming to all.
• Marion Scaffidi, a resident of Springfield, Virginia, has volunteered at Frying Pan Farm Park for more than 50 years, and she is not done yet. This year the Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park Board celebrated Scaffidi’s 96th birthday as she still participates with the group and provides a unique vantage point regarding agriculture in Fairfax County. She served on the supervisory board at Frying Pan long before there was an official Friends group, and in recent years, has served as corresponding secretary. She is known for handwriting thank-you notes to donors, a much-appreciated skill in this time when cursive is no longer taught in many schools.
• Ann Marlow, of Fairfax Station, has volunteered on behalf of Frying Pan Farm Park for more than 30 years, including many years of service as vice president of the board of the Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park. Marlow was an important part of the team that helped author and successfully complete a Memorandum of Understanding with the Park Authority. As a former Fairfax County 4-H agent, she also helped form, sustain and grow a tradition of support for that program, including forming 4-H clubs that have met at the park for years and hosting the annual 4-H Fair.
• Jennifer Grinnell Van de Vijver, of Centreville, is president of Ellanor C. Lawrence Park Friends Inc. and was the driving force behind the formation of the group in October 2019. The brand developer has provided pro bono design services for Park Authority projects, including the design for the new Sully Woodlands Stewardship Education Center signage. She tirelessly fundraises, working to obtain sponsorships for educational exhibits at the center, and already has secured several large donations for sponsorships of exhibits. She has strengthened ties between the park and local businesses.
• Allen Yang, of Centreville, has volunteered at Arrowhead Park for more than seven years and is the volunteer site leader for the Invasive Management Area (IMA) Program. His dedication to the health and beauty of Arrowhead Park is apparent to those who walk down the asphalt path and see an incredible diversity of native species. He has made great progress in the restoration of habitat and has increased the aesthetic value of the park. Arrowhead Park is now thriving with diverse native species, and it is in large part thanks to Yang’s efforts over the years.

The Elly Doyle Park Service Awards were established by the Park Authority in 1988 in recognition of former Park Authority Board Chairman and member Ellamae Doyle’s years of outstanding service toward the preservation of parkland and establishment of natural and recreational areas for the benefit of Fairfax County residents. The purpose of the awards, including the Elly Doyle, Special Recognition and Youth Awards, is to publicly recognize a volunteer or group of volunteers for outstanding contributions to Fairfax County parks.

For more information, call 703-324-8662 or email [email protected].