Fort Ticonderoga recently held its annual Volunteer Reception to thank volunteers and recognize their many hours of effort and dedication. Volunteers help support many areas of operations, augmenting the museum staff’s work including reenactments, gardening, museum collections, event assistance, junior fife & drum, and numerous other activities. So far in 2024, volunteers have given an impressive 7,000 hours of service to Fort Ticonderoga!
“Fort Ticonderoga’s Volunteers’ Count! Program, engages individuals from diverse backgrounds in a host activities which helps serve Fort Ticonderoga’s mission of preservation and education,” said Beth L. Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “We are exceedingly grateful to our volunteers for sharing their passion, time, and talent throughout the year. They are all part of our extraordinary team who work tirelessly to serve our audiences, both on-site and online through our Center for Digital History.”
The following awards were presented at the Annual Volunteer Reception:
- Keara Cook of Ticonderoga, NY, received the “Collections Access Award.” In addition to being a full-time Fort Ticonderoga staff member, Keara brought her museum studies expertise to the volunteer program this season, supporting documentation updates to Fort Ticonderoga’s Collections Database.
- Mike Crimens of Westport, NY, received the “Lieb Musketier und Großvater Award.” Mike has spent over ten years volunteering at Fort Ticonderoga, sharing his expertise in artificer trades and being part of countless battle reenactments. This award only begins to recognize the gratitude felt for this dedicated grandfather, mentor, and beloved musketeer.
- Leigh Dupee of Bennington, VT, received the “Picture Perfect Award.” Leigh has provided countless hours of professional photography services, capturing the very best of Fort Ticonderoga’s living history programs, special events, and the natural beauty of our 2,000 acre historic site.
- Kyle Duplease of Winchendon, MA, received the “Jay Fiedler Memorial Award.” Kyle has volunteered nearly 200 hours at Fort Ticonderoga. By hand and by machine, he has helped tirelessly tackle the beautification of our historic landscape. His dedication to Fort Ticonderoga’s highest level of historical reenactment practices and his unflappable positivity are simply remarkable. All of these traits reflect the spirit of this award, established in honor of Jay Fiedler, a much revered and much missed member of the Fort Ticonderoga volunteer community.
- Betty Rettig of Ticonderoga, NY, received the “Back in the Garden Award.” Betty has spent years volunteering her time and talent to create weekly flower arrangements that highlight the beauty of the King’s Garden. After an injury kept her down, the entire Fort Ticonderoga team was overjoyed to be able to welcome Betty back this summer!
New volunteers are welcome to join our Volunteers Count! Program. Information and applications are available at https://www.fortticonderoga.org/join-and-support/volunteer/ or by calling 518-585-2821. Volunteers who reach 10 hours of service receive free annual admission to Fort Ticonderoga and other special benefits.
About Fort Ticonderoga
Welcoming visitors since 1909, Fort Ticonderoga is a museum, historic site, major cultural destination, and center for learning, on-site and across the globe through Fort Ticonderoga’s Center for Digital History. As a multi-day destination and the premier place to learn more about North America’s military heritage, Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors each year. Presenting vibrant programs, historic interpretation, boat cruises, tours, demonstrations, and exhibits, Fort Ticonderoga and is open for daily visitation May through October and special programs during Winter Quarters, November through April. Fort Ticonderoga is owned by The Fort Ticonderoga Association, a 501c3 non-profit educational organization, and is supported in part through generous donations and with some general operating support made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts. To view Fort Ticonderoga’s electronic press kit, click here. © The Fort Ticonderoga Association. 2024 All Rights Reserved.
Photo: Left to right Fort Ticonderoga’s 2024 Volunteers Count! Reception: Colleen Henty, Director of Development; Leigh Dupee, volunteer; Cameron Green, Director of Interpretation; Kyle Duplease, volunteer; Mike Crimens, volunteer; Stuart Lilie, VP of Public History; Keara Cook, staff member and volunteer; Tabitha Hubbard, Collections Manager; Miranda Peters, VP of Collections; Betty Rettig, volunteer.