Cherokee Recreation & Parks hosts the annual Volunteers in the Parks (VIP) Banquet each January to honor the previous year’s volunteer winners. Guests enjoy dinner, a motivational speaker, prizes, and gifts, while one volunteer from each group is recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for their organization. From these honorees, a panel of judges selects one individual as the Cherokee County Distinguished Volunteer of the Year.
Thursday, January 15, 2026, marks our 19th Annual event!
2025 Volunteers of the Year
Distinguished Volunteer of the Year – Tiffany Goddard, Canton Baseball
Excellence in Volunteer Service Award – SORBA Woodstock
Allatoona Rowing Association – Dr. Erin Jacobs
Canton Baseball – Tiffany Goddard
Cherokee County Special Olympics – Sean & Jenny Truesdale
Cherokee Hockey In-Line League – Hailey Howard
Cherokee Impact Soccer – Paul Naliwajka
Cherokee Senior Softball Association – Jerry King
Cherokee Swim Club – Abby Schwegel
Cherokee Youth Basketball – Carlo Wheaton
Cherokee Youth Football – Andrew Rettig
Cherokee Youth Girls Flag Football – Clark & Michelle Nixon
Cherokee Youth Lacrosse – Matthew Euler
Cherokee Youth Softball – Chad Dekle
Cherokee Youth Volleyball – Michelle Brown
Community Outreach – Ana Garroni Requesens
Dwight Terry Baseball – Chris Sims
East Cherokee Baseball – Alex Spradlin
Friends of Garland Mountain – Carolyn Stambaugh Lines
Georgia Academy – Cheyenne McKinney
Grizzly Boys Youth Lacrosse – Rob Ricaud
Grizzly Girls Youth Lacrosse – Destiny Pellegrino
Hobgood Baseball – Johnathan Lee
North Atlanta Soccer Association Cherokee – Mika Fiorentino
North Metro Miracle League Cherokee – Bethany Brown
SORBA Woodstock – Scott Porter
Waleska Baseball- Randy Ray
Past Excellence in Volunteer Service Award
- 2025 – SORBA Woodstock
- 2024 – Cherokee Hockey In-Line League
- 2023 – Canton Baseball
- 2022 – GA Academy Baseball & Softball Club
- 2021 – Friends of Garland Mountain
- 2020 – SORBA Woodstock
- 2019 – Hobgood Baseball
- 2018 – Friends of Garland Mountain
Past Distinguished Volunteers
- 2025 – Tiffany Goddard, Canton Baseball
- 2024 – Jack Rutherford, SORBA Woodstock
- 2023 – Ann Carey – Allatoona Rowing Association
- 2022 – Mike Grummer – Cherokee Youth Basketball (CYB)
- 2021 – Yvonne Curtis – Georgia Academy
- 2020 – Mollie Guy – Cherokee County Special Olympics
- 2019 – Delaine Cagle – Leisure Spectrum
- 2018 – Rob & Tracie Strozier – Miracle League
- 2017 – Lori Bane – Hobgood Baseball
- 2016 – Ray Deluca – Cherokee Senior Softball Association
- 2015 – Amy Turcotte – CYFA, Holly Pineda – Special Olympics
- 2014 – Duffy Sparks – Cherokee Youth Baseball
- 2013 – Delaney Spurlock – Leisure Spectrum
- 2012 – Steve Diamond – CHILL
- 2011 – Dan Carmicheal – Cherokee Reds
- 2010 – Marguerite White – CYFA
