Fund established in memory of Charlotte’s Will Hagedorn

The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, and Vermont Parks Forever, a private foundation in support of Vermont State Parks, will announce the establishment of the Will Cameron Hagedorn Mount Philo Forever Fund at a public ceremony at 2pm on Sunday, July 27 at Mt. Philo State Park in Charlotte. The fund is created in cooperation with and at the wishes of the family of Will Hagedorn, a young employee at the park who passed away unexpectedly last summer. Donations to the fund will be used to employ a young person from the local area each summer at the park.

“We are honored and grateful that Will’s family has thought to remember Will in this way” said Craig Whipple, Director of State Parks who will be attending the ceremony on behalf of the department. “Hundreds of young Vermonters have made a state park job their first entry into the work force and we are pleased to be able to employ one more each season at Mt. Philo thanks to the generosity of the Hagedorns’ friends, family, and neighbors.”

Deb Markowitz, Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources adds “This expression of generosity is exactly why our new partner organization, Vermont Parks Forever, was created, to serve as a vehicle for channeling the passion, and energy we all have for our parks for the betterment of our communities and our state.”

Vermont Parks Forever, a newly formed non-profit partner of state parks, will hold and administer the fund on the family’s behalf.