From Betsy Clayton,
Waterways coordinator for Lee County Parks & Recreation:

“I can’t live without my volunteers. I coordinate a 190-mile canoe and kayak trail and a four-day festival. No way could I do any of that effectively without volunteer staff. Fortunately, Lee County Parks & Recreation has a fun and happy volunteer program. Not only does it make work more pleasant and make it so we can serve park patrons better, but it saves us money. In fiscal Year 2012, Lee County Parks & Recreation had 1,646 registered volunteer staff that served 66,058 hours — contributing $1,022,584 of matched wages of service to Lee County. But the real bottom line is the human one: My Calusa Blueway volunteers here at the Parks  Department make my work days more enriching and enjoyable.”