Volunteering is second nature to Snyder

Drive down Fourth Street in the morning before school, and chances are you’ll see Dave Snyder’s smiling face and friendly wave as you approach the crosswalk at Colorado Avenue, where he’s been helping kids cross the street and get to Holton Elementary School safely for several years.

“A smile and a wave don’t cost nothin’!” Snyder says.

Serving as a crossing guard is just one of the volunteer jobs that Snyder, a lifetime resident of Jackson County, enjoys. He recognizes that when it comes to volunteering, “somebody’s got to do it,” but he also considers himself to be “a small cog” in the volunteering machine.

“I’ve always worked with other people. I can’t stress that enough,” he said. “There’s very little that I’ve done by myself.”

But whether it’s helping kids across the street, coaching them in summer softball or helping to build them a place to play in Linscott Park, Snyder’s influence as a volunteer isn’t going unnoticed. For his efforts, he’ll be inducted into the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame this coming February alongside Rusty Douglas, Suzette McCord-Rogers and Mike Reichle.

It’s an honor that he said came to him as “a shock.”

“It’s very humbling,” Snyder said of his Chamber Hall of Fame recognition. “I’d never thought I deserved any special recognition, but I really appreciate the honor they’ve given me.”

Snyder, who spent his early years in Mayetta before moving to Holton while he was in sixth grade, said his love for volunteering stems from watching his father, the late Vernon Snyder, in action as a volunteer.

“My dad would volunteer for anything,” he said.

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