What do you give someone who dedicates their time to bringing gardens to life for the youth in our community? For Rick McCormick a golden trowel is the perfect way to honor his efforts in Richmond!

The Golden Trowel Award is a Tricycle Gardens annual award that celebrates RVA citizens and organizations who have demonstrated the greatest impact in the following four categories: Focus on Community, Outreach & Education, Opportunities for Healthy Food Access, and Design of Beautiful Spaces. Rick was awarded for his Outreach and Education efforts and Peter Paul is one of several lucky organizations in Richmond who has benefited from his impact.

Over the past four years, Rick McCormick, known here as “Mr. Rick,” has become one of our most steady and loved volunteers. He visits weekly for the children’s garden education program and, in addition, he tames both the community garden and the children’s garden on days in between. His enthusiasm for all things gardening is infectious and has spawned our kids’ enthusiasm for the garden.

As a certified Master Gardener, he has been awarded his 500 hours of service pin and our children’s garden has been a large part of that time. His work on the “Bumblebee Jamboree” has made a one-time event at Maymont an annual celebration that is not only a fun, but one where the community learns the importance of bees in the ecosystem.

Mr. Rick shares his time with other great organizations throughout the broader community, including the Shepherd Center, Maymont’s Nature Center, Southampton Elementary School, and Chesterfield County. We are honored to have Mr. Rick as part of our volunteer family and congratulate him for this well-deserved recognition.