Our Volunteers Highlight: Meet Sandy Koesterer
In early April, Tower Grove Park bursts with colorful blooms. The tulip, crocus, Spanish bluebell, hyacinth, and daffodil bulbs are carefully planted in fall—all 30,000 of them. With only three full-time staff, our Horticulture Team relies on the help of volunteers. Meet Sandy! Sandy not only volunteers to plant bulbs in the cool fall, she’s in the Park on rainy or scorching hot days to help plant, water, trim, harvest, mulch, winterize, or anything else our diverse flora needs.
One of our long-standing volunteers and members, Sandy dedicates her time and energies with the hopes “to keep the Park looking great for all to enjoy, including family and friends.” Sandy is no stranger to outdoor work as she grew up on a farm in Illinois. In fact, she admits, “as a kid I preferred shoveling the horse stalls in the barn or cutting grass to staying inside cleaning the house on Saturday mornings.”
Throughout Sandy’s life, she has been a wearer of many hats. A wife and mother of twins, Sandy is now retired after 35 years working for Southwestern Bell, SBC, and AT&T. She has a degree in mathematics from Greenville College, now Greenville University, and earned an MBA and a Doctorate of Management from Webster University.
While the horticulture projects are her favorite, Sandy helps with other activities at the Park. She volunteers with our Community Programs Team during the Summer Children’s Concerts, assembling materials and housekeeping items. You may also have met her at Flower Power, our annual luncheon and fundraiser, setting up and greeting guests.
We are fortunate and grateful for the commitment of all our volunteers. The blooming gardens and engaging events would not be possible without generous support from Sandy.
How did you first get involved with Tower Grove Park?
“One day after retirement I was jogging through the park, and I saw the horticulturists digging up the tulip bulbs. I asked what they were going to do with them. I asked if I could “work for bulbs.” So I signed up to volunteer in the park to get free bulbs! (Steve would have still given them to me, but it feels better when you feel like you earned them.)”
Why do you volunteer at Tower Grove Park?
“My husband and I moved to St. Louis 30 years ago from Illinois. It was supposed to be a short-term experiment before we had kids. We first moved to Tower Grove East and lived there for 13 years before moving to Compton Heights 17 years ago, where we now reside. The kids are now grown and gone to college, and we are still living in the city!
We live an active lifestyle and have always enjoyed taking walks and jogging through the Park. We like to participate in many of the other activities in the Park, either sponsored by the Park or outside organizations that use the Park, such as the Compton Heights Band, Festival of Nations, and organized runs. Our kids have enjoyed many years of CYC soccer, baseball and lacrosse practices on the fields in the Park. We have attended many activities through St. Margaret of Scotland in the Park (e.g. walk-a-thon, parish picnic, Thanksgiving morning alumni vs. 8th grade soccer game, etc.). We have experienced only a fraction of the events held in Tower Grove Park, but I wanted a way to give back to the Park that has given us many years of pleasurable experiences.”
When you aren’t volunteering at Tower Grove Park, what else are you doing?
“I play in a weekly golf league as well as serve as treasurer on the league’s Board of Directors, volunteer with the AT&T Pioneers service organization once a month at their store, and volunteer with the SLUH Alumni Mothers Club for the annual auction. I just completed my term as a member of the Compton Heights Board of Directors and am continuing to volunteer to prepare their community garden for the summer. I enjoy outside activities with my husband and friends such as walking, jogging, kayaking, and 30-50-mile bike rides.”
Thank you to Sandy and all the Tower Grove Park volunteers! If you want to get involved, but don’t know how or want to learn more, reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@towergrovepark.org.
