How Dinwiddie's legacy volunteer is protecting the school community

DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. -- While George "Perk" Perkinson is gearing up for his 85th birthday in August, he believes that age is just a number.

Work, on the other hand, is a labor of love for the people of Dinwiddie County.

If it's a school day, come morning or afternoon, drivers in Dinwiddie County know there's one man looking out for students, bus drivers, parents and anyone else behind the wheel and in front of a school.

George, better known as Perk, is without a doubt, the ultimate volunteer in Dinwiddie County.

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In December 2018, the Dinwiddie County Board of Supervisors recognized Perk for his countless years of loyal and steadfast commitment to volunteerism for more than five decades.

"If I can help, I'll go. If I can help with anything, I'll go. I just feel like I help," Perk said.

He was the Honorary Grand Marshall of Dinwiddie's 2019 Christmas Parade.

"He means a lot to Dinwiddie County. He's a fixture that's been in the county forever it seems," Major William Knott with the Dinwiddie County Sheriff's Office said.

For many years, Perk was an umpire in baseball games across the county.

"Some of the people here, I umpired with them, then I umpired for their kids," Perk said.

Perk also served for decades in the Dinwiddie County Special Police and was also a volunteer firefighter.

But it's directing traffic where his talents are on full display.

"The kids going to school are safer because he's there, directing traffic, getting people in and out of there. I'm sure he's prevented some accidents there in the school zone," Knott said.

"He enjoyed it. If you see him out there, you'll see that he's happy. He's doing something he knows what he's doing. He knows when he needs to stop the buses and let some parents' car traffic through. He knows when he needs to stop the cars and let the buses through," Edward Tucker, Dinwiddie County Schools' Director of Transportation, said.

While standing in traffic can be dangerous, those who drive to and from the school every day and the school system itself understands how important a role Perk plays in doing what he does.

"We need it for safety and to just keep a schedule, it's very important," Tucker said.