During the April Charlotte County Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting Board member and County Seat Representative Gary Walker was recognized for the many years of unwavering dedication to the guidance of and care for the well-being of the youth of Charlotte County.

Walker has worked as a member of the Charlotte County Social Services Board for 23 years according to Social Services Director, Sari Goff.

He has also worked with the county’s youth in the capacity of baseball coach for an impressive 43 years.
It is, however, his years of consistent and selfless generosity that sets him apart, according to Goff. She went on to detail the numerous times that he has filled the back of his pickup truck with the provisions needed for Thanksgiving dinners and then driving throughout the county, distributing the food to families to ensure children had a holiday meal to enjoy.

Likewise at Christmas, Goff went on, Walker would fill the bed of his truck with gifts and then pass them out to the families with foster children to make sure they felt as much of a normal family life and holiday season as could be.

His service as a baseball coach in Charlotte County spans some 43 years. During his time in that capacity he has served as mentor, guidance counselor, role model and many times, a quiet and steady friend with an ear tuned to hear the many youth he has influenced over his lifetime.

Goff went on to announce that on behalf of the agency as well as the numerous families and youth he has influenced, the Social Services Board wanted to present Walker with a plaque in honor of his years of service; to the Social Services Board, as a baseball coach, and as a role model of indeterminate value to the youth of the County.

We were able to get Walker’s reaction to the presentation made in his honor, after the meeting. He told The Charlotte Gazette, while heading out to his truck to head home, “If you ever wondered just how much impact you may be able to make on a child’s life, I suggest you get involved with Social Services. It is amazing how much difference you can make in somebody’s life.”