Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis is pleased to announce that the park is the recipient of a $5,000 grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF) and AllegraŽ (fexofenadine HCI) through the National Park - AllegraŽ Relief Effort, a partnership that supports volunteer efforts and enhances the volunteer's experience in the park.

Last year, 440 volunteers donated 88,088 hours of service to the park - roughly equivalent to more than an additional 88 paid employees each working a six-month season. "Yellowstone owes a huge debt of gratitude to each of these individuals whose only motivation and reward has been the love and concern each holds for the park. We can all learn something about the gift of giving through their example," Superintendent Lewis noted.

The NPF/Allegra grant recognizes three specific volunteer groups. Each summer, through a partnership program with the Museum of the Rockies of Bozeman, Montana, volunteers from the Southwest Montana Astronomical Society donate three weekends of interpretive astronomy programs for the park. The grant will provide campsites and supplies for this volunteer group.

A second group of volunteers complements the Ranger Division through the NPS Desk Officer Program. Retired police officers contribute to their national parks by providing quality service to visitors. When people are on vacation and experience a minor problem such as a fender bender, or damage to a rental car, or lost property, they need assistance so that they can return to enjoying their national park without delay. The Desk Officer volunteers are readily available and able to assist with these non-emergent but important tasks. During the summer of 2002, Desk Officers aided patrol staff by writing nearly 100 reports, assisting with animal jams, directing traffic at accident scenes, assisting in looking for lost/separated parties, and driving ambulances. The grant will provide to trailer sites fees for the volunteers, office materials, and safety supplies.

A third group of volunteers staffs the Museum of the National Park Ranger - which celebrates the tradition of the park ranger profession throughout America's national parks. What is unique about this museum is that it is operated solely by volunteers who are retired NPS employees from around the country. These dedicated volunteers speak of the legacy of all 388 units in the National Park System. The grant will provide uniforms and library materials for this volunteer group.

Superintendent Lewis invites the public to join park staff to recognize and pay tribute to our volunteers at two separate events. On Saturday, July 19, sometime between 3:00 - 4:00 pm (dependent upon Old Faithful Geyser eruption), the park will hold a short ceremony in front of the Old Faithful Visitor Center to recognize and thank the group of volunteers from the Museum of the Rockies and those volunteers that assist in the "Desk Officer" program. A second event will be held at the Museum of the National Park Ranger at Norris on July 23 beginning at 2:00 pm to recognize the contribution of past NPS employees who devote their time to staffing the Museum of the National Park Ranger.