Union Grove volunteers honored by State Parks

Bill and Cheryl Johnson were presented with a plaque commemorating their South Dakota State Parks Volunteer of the Year honor. They were recognized for their dedication to the Union Grove State Park.

Bill and Cheryl Johnson, campground hosts at Union Grove State Park near Beresford, were named the 2012 Volunteers of the Year for South Dakota State Parks at a recent meeting in Huron.

The couple have been campground hosts at Union Grove State Park for the last three years.

"Bill and Cheryl are much more than any volunteer that I have ever encountered," said Union Grove District Park Supervisor Eric Vander Stouwe. "Not only are they terrific hosts for our campers, they also help with maintenance and cleaning at the park. We get countless comments from campers about what a fantastic job they do."

Bill and Cheryl have each put in almost 2,000 volunteer hours with South Dakota state parks since 2010. "The Johnsons have consistently been superb hosts for us at Union Grove State Park," added Vander Stouwe.

The Johnsons are full time RVers, but still call Vermillion their home. In the winter months, they live and work in Alabama State Parks.