The Ocean Institute is pleased to announce that Kim Myers of Laguna Niguel has been selected as its 2014 Volunteer of the Year. Myers has been a volunteer for more than 10 years. He has assisted with the Institute’s tall ship maintenance and has contributed 1,342 hours of volunteer time since 2013.
Myers is an electrician, carpenter and welder as well as an accomplished artist who does wood carving, painting and scrimshaw. When the Institute’s tall ship Pilgrim makes its annual voyage, Myers serves as boatswain.
“There doesn’t seem to be any project that Kim can’t find a way to accomplish, and accomplish with boundless enthusiasm. You will never find Kim complaining that a job is too complicated, menial, or boring,” observed Howard Schutter, the Institute’s Senior Program Director, Maritime. “He just goes at it with a positive spirit that is a joy to be around.”
In addition to his work with the Institute’s tall ships, he also played an important role in making the Maddie James Seaside Learning Center, a new dock facility that is used to teach children about maritime history and ocean science, a reality. Schutter continued, “From designing equipment, finding companies to donate iron work, and organizing the volunteer team to accomplish the needed tasks, he has been essential to completing the new wharf.”
Myers will be honored at the 38th Annual Spirit of Volunteerism Awards at the Disneyland Hotel on April 9th. He will be one of 400 volunteers recognized for making “Orange County a stronger and more vibrant place.”
Additional volunteers are welcome at the Institute. Contact Linda Blanchard at (949) 496-2274, ext. 221 or lblanchard@ocean-institute.org.
Founded in 1977, the Ocean Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to ocean preservation through education, setting the standard for educational excellence and serving as a leading resource for universities, museums, teachers and all others seeking to increase their knowledge of the ocean.
The Ocean Institute is open to the general public on weekends, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cost: $6.50 adults, $4.50 children (ages 4-12), Ocean Institute members free. Unique maritime and ocean-themed items are available in the Chambers Gallery everyday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Institute address: 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr., Dana Point. Website: www.ocean-institute.org. Phone: (949) 496-2274.
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Jim Graves
