Pair Volunteers at America’s Top Beach

Maintaining the sprawling Fort De Soto Park is a huge undertaking and takes a large number of dedicated people.

Like all parks and many of the various departments in the county, Fort De Soto has come to rely on VIP’s (Volunteers in Pinellas) to assist in caring for and keeping things neat and clean.  Two volunteers that have become a real asset to the park are Brian Fairbank and Karl Cummings.

Fairbank and Cummings, both retired from Verizon, started volunteering at Fort De Soto Park after visiting the facility with a friend, a park volunteer. It was then the pair decided to also become volunteers.

“We really didn’t know what to expect when we first came out here,” Fairbank says. “We thought maybe picking up trash or doing little odd jobs.”

Keith Holland, a marine construction inspector, provides them with a wide variety of tasks, ranging from sewer and electrical maintenance at the campgrounds to staining park benches and much more. Cummings says they’ve rebuilt and modified most of the existing wood structures that house new brown trash cans seen throughout the park.

Cummings and Fairbank are among more than 300 volunteers who help make Fort De Soto Park one of America’s top beaches and a top destination spot in Pinellas County for both visitors and local residents alike.

Pinellas County volunteers can expect to make a difference in the life of their community, while exploring interests, sharing knowledge, assisting others and making friends. For more information, visit www.pinellascounty.org/volunteer, email volunteers@pinellascounty.org or call (727)464- VIPS (8477)

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