Carol Dickerson

How do you “own” a trail as a volunteer? Ask Carol Dickerson and she can tell you. It’s hiking through the woods, clearing fallen limbs and debris and then coming back a few weeks later to do it all over again. In 2006, Carol maintained two miles of Tyler Arboretum’s trails that meander through 650 acres of uncultivated natural areas—a system so extensive that volunteer help is critical. That level of dedication is typical of Carol, who is a four-season volunteer at Tyler—volunteering at the summertime Butterfly House and at the wintertime Maple Sugaring Celebration.

Doing more community work has always been in the back of Carol’s mind. But the idea turned into action when her company, AstraZeneca, became one of the sponsoring companies for Business On Call, a program of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia. Carol is true to her commitment and in just the past three years, Carol has contributed 281 volunteer hours to Tyler and 18 other cultural organizations across the region. The organizations are equally pleased, especially with her wonderful sense of humor and her quick, efficient manner.

Words of praise come from the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, where she has served as gallery host at annual fundraisers, helped with mailings at a moment’s notice, and worked at a number of other events; and from the Hagley Museum and Library, where she has coordinated ticket takers at the Fireworks, greeted visitors at the Car Show and assisted at most of the other special events; as well as from the Delaware Theatre Company, Delaware County Symphony, Tempesta di Mare, Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia Classical Symphony and many, many more.

Carol has taken the Arts & Business Council’s Business On Call program and the arts in our region by storm. Because of the time and talent Carol contributes, the arts are flourishing and our communities are better.