What 3,000 Hours of Giving Looks Like
By Amy Orzel
Bunny and Jim Hickey have given over 3,000 volunteer hours with Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, but that incredible number tells only a part of their story. Their commitment to the Park is also measured by friendly conversations with curious visitors, helpful trail tips at the Dune Climb, and the joy of helping others feel at home in a place they love.
The Hickeys have been coming to the area since the 1970s, before Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was officially established. In 2000, they bought a home near Alligator Hill, making Empire their permanent summer base for adventure, connection, and giving back.
For Bunny, that giving often begins on two wheels. As a bike ambassador on the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, she rides every other day in the summer, talking with visitors, answering questions, and helping people discover the landscape she has loved for decades. She’s been riding the trail since it first opened, and she says the people she meets are one of the greatest rewards.
“People are connected by their love of the area. You can see the happiness on their faces in being there,” she says. “It’s really special to make that connection and share that love of the Sleeping Bear Dunes.”
Those connections can be small and unforgettable, like rewarding kids who follow bike rules on the trail with Cherry Republic ice cream certificates. They can also be profound, like when she helps a visitor with mobility limitations experience the Park’s scenery from a wheelchair bike when volunteering with the Friends’ Accessibility Program.
Jim’s volunteer path has taken him through some of Sleeping Bear’s most beloved places. He began as a docent in Glen Haven in the early 2000s, serving at the Maritime Museum and Cannery before expanding his work to the Visitor Center. In 2017, he joined the Park’s Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR) program at the Dune Climb, where he has volunteered ever since.
At the base of the dunes, throughout the busy summer season, Jim walks back and forth among the many visitors, offering friendly guidance. He asks about their plans, helps match recommendations to their interests and abilities, checks that they have enough water and supplies, and, when needed, points them toward safer trail options. That kind of steady outreach is exactly what has made PSAR so successful, helping reduce emergency rescues at the Lakeshore and contributing to PSAR earning a National Park Service Director’s Visitor Safety Achievement Award.
“People tend to be receptive,” Jim says. “They appreciate the information and it helps them enjoy the park.”
Today, Jim shares his expertise by helping to train new PSAR volunteers. He and Bunny coordinate their schedules around opportunities to serve, often finding that volunteering gives them something in return: new friendships, meaningful conversations, and a community of people who share their love for the Park.
Bunny and Jim have watched generations of families gather at the Dune Climb and witnessed the happiness visitors carry with them when they leave. They want future generations to know that same wonder.
“We would love to see the park stay the same,” Bunny says. “A lot of people respect the dunes and want to preserve their beauty for the generations.”
For Bunny and Jim, giving back honors the place they love and helps others find that same joy.
Whether you want to lend a hand on a trail maintenance day, help out at a park event, or share your passion with visitors, there’s a place for you here. Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to the landscape, meet fellow outdoor enthusiasts, and join our community of Friends keeping Sleeping Bear Dunes vibrant for generations to come.
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