Volunteer Spotlight, Patti and Ron Gauvin
Patti and Ron Gauvin
Patti and Ron Gauvin have been volunteering at William J. “Billy Joe” Rish Recreation Area for over three years. Originally, they came to our area to escape the cold winters of their home state of New Hampshire. They discovered Rish Recreation Area during a beach clean-up event and fell in love with the park, participating in numerous cleanups that winter. The following year they dedicated their time and talents as Resident Volunteers, staying onsite at the park in their camper.
As Resident Volunteers, Patti and Ron’s main duties are opening the park, maintaining the park’s rental cabins and completing various park projects as needed. Their favorite part of volunteering at Rish Recreation Area is “interacting with the visitors and helping to serve other people with disabilities.” Beach clean-ups are also near and dear to Patti’s heart, while Ron is particularly fond of using the leaf blower to maintain the park’s walkways. Patti and Ron truly do it all and park staff are so grateful for their service and passion for Florida State Parks.
In their off-hours, the Gauvin's enjoy exploring the park and enjoying the amenities. Most days, you’ll find Patti going for a jog on the beach while Ron hits the bike trail along 30E on his recumbent bike. They also make sure they take time to enjoy the spectacular St. Joseph Bay sunrises and colorful sunsets over the Gulf of America – a special result of our peninsula’s north-south orientation.
Thank you, Ron and Patti, for being such great ambassadors of our park!