Longtime Volunteer Makes Memories At Kinder Farm Park

Cathy Cox enjoys being at Kinder Farm Park, where families can see farm animals, use the playground and participate in annual events.

More than 20 years ago when Cathy Cox started visiting Kinder Farm Park with her family, she could not imagine that the site would become such a big part of her life.

“We live down the street, so we’d take kids to the playground or hike the trails,” said Cox, who has a daughter and a son.

Before long, she was offering her assistance to the Friends of Kinder Farm Park organization. While she has been willing to help wherever needed, Cox has spent most of her time selling tickets for the park’s most popular events.

“Cathy has devoted a great deal of volunteer time to our biggest events, the Fall Fun Day and Jingle Bell Hayride,” said Karen Haghighi, vice president of the Friends of Kinder Farm Park. “Even after our Fall Fun Day was canceled, she was willing to help out the following weekend for our Pop-up Harvest Day. She is a giving and efficient volunteer.”

Giving to others comes naturally for the Severna Park resident.

“I thoroughly enjoy volunteering,” Cox said. “I like watching all the little kids get excited while they are making scarecrows or carving pumpkins.”

Cox enjoyed similar moments with her own children and now she gets to witness that joy again, not only on the faces of young park visitors but also in the enthusiasm of her two grandchildren. Her daughter, former Friends of Kinder Farm Park volunteer Lauren Whiting, is continuing the same traditions she experienced with her mom.

They do not need to be attending an event to appreciate the park, but activities like the Jingle Bell Hayride allow them to share their love of the county resource with more people.

“It’s gotten bigger and better with more animals and a sleigh ride,” Cox said of the Jingle Bell Hayride.

Cox has done her part to spread the word, notifying community members about Kinder events while working her shift at Walgreens.

She encourages others to volunteer.

“The Friends of Kinder Farm Park are all so nice and fun to be around,” she said. “If someone is a people person, they will enjoy it. They’re eating food and listening to music.”

Cox has volunteered for other events, like decorating a sailboat for Carrollton Manor’s float in the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce’s Fourth of July parade one year. She expects to volunteer at Kinder Farm Park for several more years.

“It’s a lot of fun,” she reiterated, “not just for Severna Park, Millersville, Arnold or Pasadena, but for all people and all ages. It’s family oriented and it’s the place to be.”