While busy taking pictures in the Yacht club resort I notice this sign Volunteer’s Park, Subic Bay volunteers park in front of the Subic Bay Yacht Club Resort. So because of curiosity, I ask the local on how can I go there and luckily he give me the direction. Around 2-3 minutes of walk, you can reach this Volunteers Park or the Volunteers Shrine, These are unexpected visits and also I consider this as a bonus after walking under the heat of the sun. When I was there I really amazed to see the list of names of the volunteers who were inscribed on stones. It is dedicated to the 8,000 volunteers who established the foundation of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone under the leadership of founding Chairperson Richard J. Gordon.
Brief History of the Volunteers Park, Subic Bay volunteers park
Volunteer Park was acquired by the city of Seattle for $2,000 in 1876 from J.M. Colman. In 1885 it was designated a cemetery, but two years later it was named “Lake View Park,” and the cemetery was developed on an adjacent plot of land (see Lake View Cemetery). The park then became known as “City Park.” In 1901, it was renamed “Volunteer Park” to honor the volunteers who served in the Spanish-American War. J. Willis Sayre, a Seattle theatre critic, journalist, and historian, who had fought in the war, had actively lobbied local officials to rename this park. From 1904 to 1909, the Olmsted Brothers prepared formal plans for the park.
According to the speech of Richard J. Gordon on March 3, 1980
“What this country needs is not a change of men, but a change in men.”
Saw this word also inscribed on the stone of Subic Bay volunteers park.
True heroes and heroines all, had a vision, they had values. They rekindled the spirit of volunteerism, paving, the way for the start of the new Philippines. In remembering them, we celebrate the human spirit.
We are so blessed because we have these people…
The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others. ~DeAnn Hollis~
