Sabine, Sand Hill Foundation Receive Volney Rogers Legacy Award
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation has bestowed the Volney Rogers Legacy Award upon two benefactors of the Foundation, David Sabine and Sand Hill Foundation.
The award, which was created in 2006, is reserved for those who show dedication to the MetroParks and its programs.
Sabine, senior vice president and senior trust officer at Huntington National Bank, played an instrumental role in the restoration and preservation of Lanterman’s Mill, as well as the spearheading of the fundraising efforts for the creation of the Beecher Finnegan Education Building that is part of the current Ford Nature Center redevelopment project.
“I love the park,” Sabine said. “It’s a treasure but also represents the sacrifice and energy and devotion Volney Rogers had to create this park. It is our duty to continue that commitment to make sure the park continues to grow and to bring the benefits to the community as it has for this 100 years.”
The Sand Hill Foundation, a private family foundation located in Menlo Park, Calif., provides philanthropic support for promising and proven nonprofit organizations working to alleviate poverty, strengthen families and preserve the natural environment with a primary focus in the San Francisco Bay area.
Established in 1995, the Sand Hill Foundation, has given financial gifts to the Ford Nature Center Endowment Fund and is the naming sponsor for the Ford Nature Center redevelopment project.
This year’s presentation of the Volney Rogers Legacy Award coincides with the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Volney Rogers memorial statue, located at the park entrance at Glenwood Avenue and Memorial Hill Drive.
Rogers, who established Mill Creek Park in 1891, died Dec. 3, 1919. The bronze statute was unveiled on Oct. 12, 1920, before a large crowd of dignitaries, honored guests and school children from the area that raised funds needed to erect it.
In tribute to the centennial of the statue’s dedication, the Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation commissioned Freshmade3D, housed at the Youngstown Business Incubator, to create a scaled replica of the statue for the award.
“What makes the award so special is that it utilizes cutting-edge 3D printing technology from right here in Youngstown to pay homage to Volney Rogers and an event that took place a century ago,” says Chris Litton, development director for Mill Creek MetroParks.
The eight-foot Volney Rogers statue was created by nationally renowned sculptor Frederick C. Hibbard and is mounted on a pedestal of red Missouri marble.
Pictured above: David Sabine, Huntington National Bank, holds his award. He is shown in front of the Volney Rogers statue at Millcreek Park. Also pictured are Mark Wenick, Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation president; (background) Lee Frey, Mill Creek MetroParks Board of Park Commissioners president; and Aaron Young, executive director, Mill Creek MetroParks. Officials from the Sand Hill Foundation were unable to travel to Youngstown to receive their award. (Image: Mill Creek MetroParks)
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
