The Capitol Area Recreation Association recognized the long-time service and devotion of Gary Burns and Ralph Stimanon Oct. 14 by naming them recipients of the Joe Linscott CARA Volunteer Award, according to a news release from CARA.

Burns is a 34-year member of CARA including 10 years as president. He has a long history of community service including two terms on the City Council, member of the Augusta Recreation Advisory Board, a parishioner of St. Andrews Church, assisting grieving families, and has been active in hospice care.

He coacheg Little League, Babe Ruth and Augusta Junior Football.

In addition to serving 10 years as CARA president, he also has been a member of the golf committee and has participated in many capital improvement projects. Helped obtain the bleachers at Morton Field and was responsible for securing funding and donated services for this project. He played a lead role in the development of the CARA Youth Memorial Fields and was instrumental in obtaining funding from the city of Augusta, which resulted in paving a good portion of Piggery Road, according to the release.

Stiman has had some involvement in almost every project undertaken by CARA since the late ’70s. He has donated his time, expertise, equipment and steel, to assist CARA projects, including scoreboard fabrication and erection, building security doors and windows, removal of diseased elm trees, fabrication of gates and batting cage supports, grading and drainage projects, relocation of buildings, installation of underground tanks, and more. The largest capital improvement project in the CARA complex was the construction of three Olympic-size soccer fields with parking and access road. This project was done on weekends over three years and Stimanon was in charge. He obtained equipment, materials and operators, much of which was donated, and provided supervision of the project, according to the release.

Stiman, along with Bob Burns of Bob Burns Construction Co., were the key players in the re-installation of the 1,800 seat bleachers acquired by the city of Augusta and donated to CARA. Stiman and a crew of his friends fabricated a press box, which was transported to the site and welded to the superstructure.