Volney Rogers Legacy Awards pay homage to 100th anniversary of memorial statue

David Sabine and the Sand Hill Foundation were honored with Volney Rogers Legacy Awards by the Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation.

The award, which was created in 2006, is given to those who are dedicated to the MetroParks and its programs.

Sabine, senior vice president and senior trust officer at Huntington National Bank, was honored for his longtime support and dedication to Mill Creek MetroParks and the Foundation. He has played an instrumental role in the restoration and preservation of Lanterman’s Mill and spearheaded the fundraising efforts for the creation of the Beecher Finnegan Education Building, which is part of the Ford Nature Center Redevelopment Project, a news release states.

“I’m very honored to receive the Volney Rogers Award,” Sabine said in the release. “I love the park. 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 in Menlo Park, Calif., provides philanthropic support for nonprofit organizations working to alleviate poverty, strengthen families and preserve the natural environment, with a primary focus in the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula.

The Sand Hill Foundation, established in 1995, has been active with gifts to the Ford Nature Center Endowment Fund and was the Naming Sponsor for the Ford Nature Center Redevelopment Project in 2018. Representatives from The Sand Hill Foundation were unable to travel to attend the award presentation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s award presentation coincided with the 100-year anniversary of the dedication of the Volney Rogers Memorial Statue, located at the Memorial Entrance of Mill Creek Park at the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Memorial Hill Drive. Rogers, who established Mill Creek Park in 1891, died Dec. 3, 1919. The bronze statue, sculpted in his likeness, was unveiled Oct. 12, 1920.

In tribute to the centennial of the statue’s dedication, the Mill Creek MetroParks Foundation commissioned Freshmade 3D, 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,” Chris Litton, development director for Mill Creek MetroParks, said.

Full article at mahoningmatters.com