William S. Hart Regional Park is pleased to announce that Becki Basham has been named Hart Park Volunteer of the Month for May 2017.

Becki came to Hart Park after reading a newspaper article requesting new volunteers in the spring of 2006. She joined the Friends of Hart Park and completed a six-week course and soon started working in the old log-cabin gift store.

At that time, there were busloads of school children coming to the park each week, so primarily the business was to sell a lot of animal feed and park souvenirs.

In December 2006, the Friends purchased a modular trailer that became the new gift store; it was permanently placed next to the animal pens.

When the former manager resigned her position, Becki took over management of the gift store. In April 2007 she joined the board of Friends of Hart Park and has continued in both volunteer capacities for the past decade.

With the help of several volunteers, Becki keeps the gift store open on weekends, and she occasionally opens it to groups by appointment. Becki, along with her husband and fellow volunteer Roger, manages all phases of Hart Park gift shop operations including shopping for unique gift items and collectibles such as books, DVDs and novelty items that appeal to kids and adults alike.

Becki and Roger usually work in the store one day per week and can be counted on to open the store full-time during major festivals such as the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival, Silents Under the Stars, the annual Native American Powwow and other special weekend events.

Five years ago, Becki joined the Oak of the Golden Dream Questers, a group of women who have taken on the task of refurbishing the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society’s historic houses in the Heritage Junction section of the park. Becki’s role was key in finding many of the period 1930s furnishings now found in the Edison House and Kingsburry House.

Becki finds volunteering her time and energy rewarding. She notes with a sense of pride the work she and others do to carry out the wishes of Bill and Mary Ellen Hart and preserve their generous donation to our community.

For these contributions and thousands of volunteer service hours given to the welfare of William S. Hart Regional Park, Becki Basham is Hart Park’s May 2017 Volunteer of the Month.