Yesterday

Yesterday I went back to the The St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration office to get my hours form signed since the lovely lady on saturday didn't finish filling it out. All I needed was her signature really. At the front desk was the charming chipper woman that I met the first monday that I did the lableing and hadn't received my schedule yet. She cocked her head and told me she thought she knew me from somewhere long before this last week. Perhaps another life. She was super friendly and chatty though. She was very helpful by giving me the last signature I needed and hoped to see me volunteer for next year. I intend to.

Race Day

My alarm was set for 5:15 and I remember turning my alarm off. I must have fallen back asleep but I though I was up. I drempt I was getting ready to go. My mom woke me up and told me I slept through my alarm. It was 5:45. I threw on several layers of clothes and got dropped off at Ann Morrision park. I made it there by 6 so I was on time. I checked in with a very nice woman that was coordinating the womens show the night before. She remembered me and I was very surprised because there are a ton of volunteers there. It was still very dark and they had huge lights illuminating the walkways in the park. A large group of us stumbled to a tent. We were explained how it was to be set up and we hopped to it. We opened up boxes of apples. Next to that we opened boxes of Snicker's energy bars. Next to that was pen obxes of string cheese. Next to that were trash bags of bagels and finally cookies. The racers would proceed down a line and take what they wanted and add it to their bag.
The set up only took and hour and the sun had just begun to rise when we finished. I didn't know what to do. We finished at 7 but I was scheduled until 9 but that didn't make sense because the race started at 8ish and no one would finish before 9. They also had people start their breakfast serving shift at 7 and That didn't make sense either. Anyways I was freezing and my feet were soaked and numb from the wet grass. I was looking for something to do and saw a guy I had worked with the night before and he was stacking apples on top of the apples in the open box on the tables. He told me the director came by and told him he wanted as much on the table as possible and to do that. I asked if I should do that at the other tables and he said that would be great. So I went to my corner and grabbed a box of apples and took it to the table. There wasnt room on the table for the box so I set on the ground. I started opening it and this woman came over and told me I couldn't leave food on the ground. I know. I explained to her what I was told to do and she was very rude and condesending and yelled at me for doing what I was told to do and being over-efficient. Its really sad that there are one of those people in every group. I was pissed and had to get away from that fun sucker and went back to the check in table and had the nice lady from the night before sign my sheet. I told her what happened and she apoligized. I felt bad. It wasn't her fault that there was a mean volunteer. SHe asked how many more hours I needed and I told her I was over my hours. I didn't have to come that morning I just liked helping. She said I didn't have to stay but she would love it if I did stay, but to be honest about what I wanted to do. I'd been feeling sick anyways and headed on home. I hope everyone has fun at the race!

womens show day 2

Friday I worked at the women's show for 2 shifts. One from 4 to 8, the other 7:30 to 11. Yes the shifts over lapped and i finished one and went to the other. This day was way more exciting and active than the previous day. My first shift was greeter/information/Bag-hander-outer. I was at the enterence after admissions with 2 other women. One's name was Gracie and it turned out we had had some classestogether before. The other woman (I didnt catch her name) was very fun.I had a blast with them and it got so busy. we were giving out pre-stuffed bags, maps of the women's show, and a protein shake. I can't remember what it was called but it tasted very similar to slim fast only not as thick. We also answered questions. The most popular one was "where do I pick up my race number and tee-shirt?" to which I would reply "Okay you are going to go down this hall then take a left up ahead. Down that hallway you will take another left. You will be in the Hall of Fame. Find your name on the lists of paper fixed to the wall. It will tell you your race number. You will then proceed into the room on your right. You can pick up your race number in there. From there you will go down a narrow hall on the side of that room which will shoot you into a large room full of vendors. Go to the very back on the right. There will be a room next to the events stage. That is where you will pick up your tee-shirt." Over time that speal evolved into "Follow the huge signs on the ceiling and you'll find it."
Gracie and I observed that men were reluctant to take our bags. It said "women's show" all over it. They always said something like "it's for my daughter" or "it's for my wife" they would eye the bag and shake their headds kind of nervously and scuttle away. They eagerly took the protein shakes though. Protein! Guys drink protein! Protein = muscle! Yeah that drink is okay for men! Oh gosh. They can be so insecure sometimes.
That shift went very quickly. People brought us things to eat like the snickers energy bars, string cheese and chocolate milk. I love the people that work this event. They are so thoughtful and take care of their volunteers.
The second shift dealt with recycling. After the event was over my new group and I went around and collected all the yellow recycling bins. We recycled the recycleable stuff and washed the bins stacked them and what not. We also collected all the boxes around from different vendors and recycled those. One vendor left a very nice 5 shelve bookcase there. Its black and wooden and so we out it outside the Boise Center and stuck a sign on it labled free. I hope someone takes it. That would be such a waste to let it go to the dump.
We finished in record time. I was scheduled until 11pm but we finished around 9. There were lots of lovely high fives. Over all, I had a blast.

Race numbers

At 12:30 I went to the Boise Center on the Grove and signed in as a volunteer. They gave me a lovely small lime green shirt with this year's logo on it. I made my way through the different vendors and in the very back of the building was a large room filled with people dressed like me. I took over for a nice older lady checking in people to get their race numbers. She ran me through the process and what all the different coloured marks meant. It was pretty simple. The other lady's replacement came and the two of us took numbers checked of names and directed people elsewhere. It was very cold in the room so we took turns doing laps around the building through the warm crowds. Along the way we may have found a tasty treat or two.
There were women from all over checking into our stand. One woman from Minnasota was very excited to be here. She had heard about the race by ear and had been wanting to do it for a few years. She and her mother were coming to do it but a couple days back her mother hurt herself and couldn't come so the daughter came by herself. She was still really thrilled to be here. She said Boise was really laid back and everyone was super friendly. I never really thought of Boise as friendly. I didn't think of it as unfriendly either but I have seen friendlier. Anyways while today's volunteer work wasn't very busy or active it was still enjoyable.

First day of volunteering

Yesterday was interesting. I hadn't received a confermation e-mail with my schedule yet from the woman's celebration office and I waited a couple weeks. I know they are very busy and things are hectic right now so I waited. I remembered I had signed up for race number labeling on a monday because I remember being concerned if it was going to overlap into when my bible study is. So after I got out of class I walked to the main office in the northend to see what time is started. I got there and they told me it would start at 5pm over at a location on shoreline drive. So I got to walk back to the area where I had just came from. I talked to a coordinator in the main office and my schedule had been sent to an incorrect email. I'm glad that got sorted out.
I got a little lost going to the shoreline location and unfortunatly was about 10 minutes late. I hate being late. It says so much about a person. I got there and dove headfirst into labeling. It was repetitive but still intersting. I labeled 500 race numbers. There are people coming from all over to run this race. I had people coming from Yamika Washington, Oregon, and Tuscan Arizona. I had someone tell me there was someone coming from West Virginia. I knew this fundraiser was big but I didn't realize how far people would be coming from. Also the woman that were in charge of the event last night were very nice. They gave us chocolate!

orientation

Thursday the 10th at 2pm I went to the Celebration office over on hays street. I was 10 minutes early but they also started early so I wasn't technically late but they had already started. That really bothers me. I am super punctual and I can't stand being late places. Oh well.
The office is run by four women all year round and when the race comes they take on tons of volunteers. They are awesome ladies. They are really friendly and peppy. Everyone was. I am really excited to start this project. The unfortunate part is it only lasts a week. It will be a very eventful and tightly packed week though. I imagine I will be very tired but with that warm fuzzy feeling that comes from helping people out.

The women's run

In my english service-learning class I signed up to volunteer for the Women's Celebration Run. I am really excited to help with this event. When I was little my younger sister, mom and I would run it every year. My mom would give us disposible cameras and we were suppose to take pictures of interesting things we saw when we were running. Most of my sister's pictures were of feet. I remember being downtown before the run started and them playing the YMCA byVillage People. I loved doing the race and I am sure I will enjoy helping the event be sucessful and fun.