Friends of Murphys Point Park

The Friends are sad to share the news that our long-time Director and Treasurer, Don Goodfellow, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 11 following a short illness. We are all so saddened by this loss.

Don was a pillar of support for all things related to the Friends of Murphys Point Park. In addition to volunteering at most of our events, Don was our Barbecue King. Many of you may have encountered him or volunteered alongside him at our fundraising barbecues over the years, which raised thousands of dollars for Friends’ activities. He worked closely with Park staff to ensure these events went smoothly for everyone involved and was happy to welcome and coach not only Friends and Park students to help with our activities, but also local high school students seeking volunteer hours.

Behind the scenes, Don was a steady, quiet, patient and solid presence for the Board. The Treasurer’s job is a busy one, and he handled it with great competence, keeping Friends’ records organized and up-to-date, meeting all reporting requirements and managing our assets with skill and knowledge. If ever there was a challenge to overcome, Don was quick to step up and help solve it. He could be counted on to lend his support wherever and whenever it was needed.

In addition to being an outstanding “Friend,” Don was also our dear friend – and we will miss him tremendously. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Don’s family, friends and so many other community groups that benefited from his dedication, generosity and kindness. 

In the coming weeks, the Board will be discussing ways we can honour Don’s contribution to the Friends of Murphys Point, and we will keep you posted.

On Saturday, Oct. 26, Friends volunteers helped clean up the part of County Road 21 that runs through the park as part of Lanark County’s Adopt-a-Road program. Met with amazing weather, seven volunteers (Don, Susan, Pat, Derek, Tara, Kevin and Peter) along with the help from two Park staff members (Curtis and Mark) spent the morning picking up trash and recyclables to help keep the park clean and the environment healthy. Volunteers found a total of 115 cans and bottles, along with plenty of blue box material, and they cleaned up both sides of the road!

A huge thank you to all volunteers involved for sparing their time and energy to ensure the park stays clean and litter-free. Thanks also to Curtis and Mark for helping to keep everyone safe while they worked. We will be doing this again in the spring and fall next year, so stay tuned!