Bob and Marci Martin are Honored with ALF Volunteer Awards

Bob and Marci Martin of ALF’s Cape Cod Chapter were honored with “Len Hadley Volunteer Awards” during the American Lighthouse Foundation’s annual Gala, which was held at the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine, on May 4, 2025. The following tribute was written by Gary Childs, Cape Cod Chapter Chairperson:

At the Race Point Lighthouse in Provincetown, MA, our overnight stay program is based on having volunteer Keepers on site around the clock 24/7 from June 1st through Nov 24th.  They are responsible for transporting our Keeper’s House and Whistle House guests and hosting their stay.  These teams, usually of two and couples in general, accept responsibility for preventing damage to the four historic structures. Secondly, the Keepers make all the Guests feel at home and safe during their stay.

So, when the local Chapter Committee gets two referrals from trusted veteran keepers, we listen.  November 18, 2016, from Keeper Elizabeth (Malakie) Coulter: “I wanted to put in a good word for Bob and Marci Martin” and “they were really exceptionally wonderful. Very friendly and welcoming and have been coming to the Cape for almost 70 years. They would be a wonderful fit for our program.” This is exactly what we look for in our volunteer Keepers who have much responsibility and autonomy at the Race Point Light Station. Now, some eight years later, we are very happy to honor them as a chapter with ALF Len Hadley Volunteer awards. Over the years, they have stepped up for special functions and are remembered by many appreciative guests. Friendships between Bob and Marci and some of the guests have blossomed.

As our group of volunteer Keepers ebb and flow due to changes in life and desires, last year we ended up with some “holes” to fill in the Keeper Calendar.  Most Keepers stay two, three or four nights per year. A few volunteers cover more. Bob and Marci covered 43 nights last year spread out from July to November. Each time Allie, our Reservations Manager asked for help, they warmly agreed. The Cape Cod Chapter leadership does not “worry” about the Station when they are there.

Some recent wrinkles enabling the Station to remain open during the seasonal piping plover restrictions have been challenging. Bob and Marci volunteered many days last year during an 8-week partial shutdown to the over-sand ORV trails. Bob and Marci always made it work.

Then there was the time when the Guests arrived and fresh flowers were placed upon the kitchen table! We cannot forget to mention the work they did with a wedding on Friday, September 13th! This was a small wedding inside the lighthouse with twelve people, including the bride and groom, the officiant, and their respective families. The guests were transported out to the site, made to feel welcome, found flower arrangements everywhere, and the keeper’s house and whistle house guests were prepped for the great day. With permission from the bride and groom, included were a few of the photos, along with rose petals in the air. Bob and Marci acted as photographers that day documenting the ceremony and gathering.

With another wedding scheduled for this coming September, our first thought was to ask them, and they agreed, to cover the stay out there for the next couple. Bob and Marci’s generous contributions to the Race Point Light Station, both in person, and through financial donations, also enabled us to replace the flagpole.  Last year they covered several of the Sunday lighthouse tours by placing sandwich boards along two miles down the over-sand trail and at the lighthouse, as well as conducting the 6-hour tour too. They even had a record day of gift shop donations on one of these tour days.  Their warm esprit de corps is contagious.

This year they will be one of the opening sets of Keepers, and they will close the Station in November, with stays in the middle of the season. This couple’s endorsement by actions and words embodies the intent of chapter’s mission regarding public access to this remote lighthouse.

Congratulations to Bob and Marci Martin from the Cape Cod Chapter, Race Point Lighthouse for a job well done. It gives the American Lighthouse Foundation great pleasure to present Bob and Marci Martin with a well-deserved Len Hadley Volunteer Award!