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A Celebration of VIS Volunteers

November 15, 2011

On October 8, 2011 the dining area at Hale Pohaku was transformed into a beautiful site of celebration for the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station's (VIS) Annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet. Subaru staff members Josh Williams (Night Operation Assistant) and Dan Birchall (Observation System Associate) were among the recipients of some of the special awards presented during the evening.

A previous recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2007, Josh was awarded the Long-Standing Contributions Award for volunteering 1,600 hours since 2004. He has contributed 341 hours during this year alone.

For the third year in a row, Dan was nominated for the Volunteer of the Year Award. He received the Hoku Award in 2009 for contributing over 1,000 hours of service since he began volunteering in 2004. This past year alone he gave 211 hours and has accumulated 1,528 lifetime volunteer hours.

People from all walks of life volunteer at the VIS, including astronomers, university students, and the general public. Volunteers engage in a variety of activities, including stargazing, giving public presentations, and leading or assisting the public on the Escorted Summit Tour during the weekends. Each year the VIS holds a special banquet to recognize the contributions of its volunteers and express its gratitude to them.

Both Josh and Dan had volunteered at the VIS before they began working at Subaru Telescope, and their dedication to helping has continued, whether as volunteers or as Subaru staff members. Congratulations to them both!


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Photo: Dan Birchall (left) and Josh Williams (right) appreciate receiving their awards.

 

 



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