Meet our Amazing FOMP Volunteers: Nancy and Don Donaghy

“There’s nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.”― Jimmy Doolittle

Nancy and I have lived “park side” on Midvale for fifty years this coming June. My earliest memory of the park was looking out our bay window to the meadow. It looked like a fairway. A few short years later, we had a professional photo taken of our daughter, Elizabeth, playing in the park among the yellow ground flowers. The park, however, fell upon bad times later in the 70s and 80s as upkeep was neglected. McMichael Park became a destination for keg-night drinking parties and the Turtle became a target for beer bottles. Drugs were also in evidence, and a dead body was dumped in the park. Police deemed it a bad business deal gone wrong. The centennial year was a brief uptick in the slide.

Help was on the way in the trio of Alexis Franklin, Tom Williams and Keith Shively. My first recollection of their early efforts were Keith and Tom painting and repairing the old in-ground benches and scorching the weeds on the cracks in the sidewalks. The formal Friends group was conceived and established by these best of neighbors. Our active participation in the Love Your Park days have slowed as we age, but our appreciation for the effort has not diminished. It once again looks like a fairway.

A word or two about the Turtle. Our children and now our grandchildren still make periodic trips to visit the Turtle. My son, Daniel, gave us a photo block the chronicles their visits through the years.

Thanks again, Alexis, Tom, Keith and the Friends of McMichael Park for sharing and caring for McMichael Park has been and remains the treasure it is.

The Donaghy Grands taking a reoccurring ride on the Turtle. Nan and Don observing from the bench.

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