Ask Darwin Park about his extensive volunteerism and his response is simple in concept, but powerful in execution.

“To me, community service means giving of yourself wherever you are at,” says Darwin, who is a 2015 Awards of Excellence recipient in the Community Service category. “I have never defined service by artificial government or organizational boundaries, but rather how I can contribute to my community in whatever way possible at that particular time.”

A modest explanation from a man who has had a consistent volunteer presence in the community since he moved to Spruce Grove in 1969.

Soon after arriving in the then Town of Spruce Grove, Darwin was hired as the Town’s first Parks and Recreation director, allowing him to be at the forefront of many “start up” projects in the community, such as spearheading the annual parade and completing the Town’s first Master Parks and Recreation plan. Many of Darwin’s projects created the foundation that have resulted in the Spruce Grove being a well-balanced and well-planned community.

Darwin was also a member of Spruce Grove Town Council from 1977-1980, leading initiatives in the area of planning, including heading up the Planning and Development Committee for several years. Then, when Spruce Grove was considering whether to move from “town” to “city” status, he was head of the City Status Review Committee, which he followed up by serving as chair of the City Celebrations Committee in 1986, the same year he was nominated as Spruce Grove’s Citizen of the Year.

But Darwin’s volunteerism stretches far beyond his work with local government. He is a charter member of the Spruce Grove Kinsmen Club and assisted the Spruce Grove Legion in 1987 by chairing the Cenotaph Replacement Program to commemorate area residents who died in a war. Darwin chaired the Parent Advisory Committee when it was first established by Spruce Grove Composite High School in 1992-1993 and he served on both the Heritage Agricultural Society and the Multicultural Heritage Board. He has also been a long-time “uncle” with the Edmonton-based Uncles & Aunts at Large organization that provides mentor services for children.

A sports enthusiast who graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Physical Education, Darwin volunteered with the 1978 Commonwealth Games, the 1983 World University Games, the 2001 World Track and Field Championship and the 2001 World Triathlon Championship. He served as a director with the 1995 Summer Games Board of Directors and a member of the 2012 Winter Games Bid Committee, successfully bringing the games to the tri-municipal region. Most recently Darwin is on the local organizing committee for the Stage 5 Finish for the Tour of Alberta that will conclude in Spruce Grove on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015.

An avid runner who took up long distance running, Darwin was the founding president of the Parkland Pavement Pounders Running Club and founding race director of the Spruce Grove Examiner Half Marathon. In 2004 he was a fundraiser and participant with Team Canada Diabetes in the Dublin Marathon for the Canadian Diabetes Association. Darwin has also cycled extensively in Canada, the United States and Mexico, twice completing Le Tour of Hope seven-day cycling fundraiser for the Kids with Cancer Society.

Darwin has volunteered extensively with the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, serving on the United Way Cabinet from 2000 to 2007 in leadership roles including campaign chair, board vice chair and board chair. Nationally, he’s a founding member of the Catherine Donnelly Foundation and founding director of Natural Step Canada, which is an environmental sustainability non-governmental organization. He also volunteers for Bird Studies Canada, donating many hours to conducting annual bird counts.

He has received numerous awards, including the Queen’s Silver and Golden Jubilee Awards, as well as the Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Professionally, along with colleague Gerry Davies, Darwin founded Davies Park, a successful consulting firm in Edmonton that now has branches in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

Darwin retired in 2004 and today enjoys spending time with Betty, his wife of 40 years, their two children and five grandchildren. Still an active volunteer, he also enjoys his most recent hobby of photography, frequently creating photo books for family and friends.