More than 10,770 volunteers gave 115,718 hours to Fairfax County parks in fiscal year 2026 (July 2025 through June 2026). The Park Authority values that labor at more than $3.98 million.

Put another way, the volunteer corps did the equivalent work of roughly 56 full-time employees.

The agency honored 21 of those volunteers at its Evening on the Ellipse ceremony on July 16 at the Fairfax County Government Center.

"The park volunteer force multiplies the reach and the impact of the Park Authority's professional staff in a meaningful way, and we simply could not function without it," Park Authority Board Chairman Tim Hackman said at the ceremony.

Hackman, a Great Falls resident who represents the Dranesville District on the Park Authority Board, presided over the event alongside Executive Director Jai Cole and Deputy Directors Sara Baldwin and Nigel Fields. He is also a former president of Friends of Riverbend Park.

The 21 honorees were recognized for work that ranges from leading nature programs and managing golf course play to removing invasive species, supporting park events and maintaining trails across the Park Authority's 424-park system. Individual honoree profiles are available on the Park Authority's website.

Hackman praised the volunteers for working "often quietly, behind the scenes and without expecting recognition," according to the Park Authority's published account of the ceremony.

The recognition took place during the Evenings on the Ellipse Summer Concert Series, a free outdoor program at the Government Center.

Residents interested in joining the volunteer force can visit fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/volunteer or email [email protected].