Tulsa, Okla. - Orville and Pauline Nichols received the “Volunteer Enduring Service Award” presented by Col. Christopher Hussin, Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander on behalf of the Corps Foundation September 22, 2016, at the Case Community Center, Sand Springs, Oklahoma.
The Nichols perform their volunteer work at Keystone Lake and play a vital role in the continued success of the project to positively enhance the public’s experience.
Orville and Pauline began volunteering with the Corps at Keystone Lake in 1995, and to date have 21 years of service.
“Often times Orville and Pauline are on the front lines along with our rangers and they see the public first,” stated Kent Dunlap, Tulsa District Natural Resources and Recreation Branch Chief. “They work with the public in such a way that it keeps them coming back and that’s because they know how to treat people, and it shows.”
The Nichols have volunteered over 26,000 hours of their time and have saved the Corps of Engineers an estimated $500,000.
During the floods of 2015, the Nichols were among the last to leave the campgrounds and the first to return. They immediately started cleaning up debris in order to facilitate a quick re-opening of the campgrounds after the flood waters subsided.
“The Nichols are great ambassadors to the local community, they are obviously great representatives of the Corps and what they do is just amazing,” stated Hussin. “As I look around our district I continue to be amazed at our volunteer force of folks like Orville and Pauline who take care of our parks as if it were their very own. We certainly couldn’t do it without them.”
This is the first year the Enduring Service Volunteer Award has been presented as it was established in January 2016 by the “The Corps Foundation.”
The Nichols will receive a plaque from “The Corps Foundation,” $250 cash from Bass Pro Shops, and a $250 gift card from Bass Pro Shops.
“The Volunteer Enduring Service Award honors long time service. People who have had a long time commitment to the Corps, and Nichols definitely fall into that category,” stated Greg Miller, Chairperson Board of Directors, the Corps Foundation.
The Corps Foundation engages the public to ensure the environmental health and recreational enjoyment of our nation’s lakes and waterways administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.