Venture Outdoors Festival (VO Fest)
Thanks to all of the wonderful Paddlefish volunteers who have signed up to help take people out for their first paddle in a dragon boat next Saturday (May 20, 2006) at the Venture Outdoors Festival on the North Shore near Heinz Field. Last year, almost 6000 people came to the VO Fest, but among the participants I remember most are a young man named Phil who got out of the boat after paddling for the first time, punched the air, and hollered, "That was freakin' awesome!" -- and, of course, Rich, who introduced himself to the team by handily tripping Lisa as she stepped up out of the boat. ;-)
We’ll take the boats out once/hour, with the first group of paddlers going out at 11 AM and the last group going out at 3 PM. Anyone interested in going out on the boats will register at our tent, get some quick on-land instruction (how to hold the paddle, basic commands, safety guidelines), and then go out on the water in the two boats for a general intro to paddling and then a little scrimmaging against the other boat.
This is also a great chance to let know people how they can get more time in the dragon boats this summer! Opportunities include the recreational once/week TRRA Dragon Boat Leagues (Tuesday night for adults, Thursday night for youth who want to learn to paddle a dragon boat), the Paddlefish teams (adult team and junior team), and community teams that form in order to race at the Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival on September 16th.
People might ask you about the difference between joining the rec league and joining the Pfish.... Paddlefish are all year-round TRRA members who practice two or three times a week with a professional coach and have the opportunity to travel to and compete in races around the world. The recreation league is less of an initial investment and an excellent way to learn more about the sport: participants get once/week practice for four weeks and then race in a local event on a Saturday after their last practice. (Total cost for the Dragon Boat League is $65; scholarships are available through TRRA.)
Info on all of these opportunities is available via the TRRA web site at www.threeriversrowing.org, so you can tell people to check that site or to google us (Pittsburgh Paddlefish) and find information through our blog.
posted by Kit at 5/12/2006 11:08:00 AM
2 Comments:
Just in case you want to pull double-duty and help out with general chores at the Festival in addition to the dragon boat stuff:
Here’s your opportunity to make a difference at the Venture Outdoors Festival. Volunteer for the festival, taking place on May 20, 2006 at the Riverfront Park, next to Heinz Field! Choose one of the shifts/assignments below. Bring friends and family - you can play before or after your shift. Your support is greatly appreciated. Once you respond to this e-mail, I will confirm one final time with you.
Along with shift/assignment, please supply me with the following:
● Name, preferred method of contact
● Preferred Task
● Time Available
● Any physical restrictions that need to be considered for assigning tasks
For more information about the festival, please check out our site: http://www.ventureoutdoors.org/VOFest.asp
Each shift gets a t-shirt, free parking and food.
If you can stay longer, even if it’s not a full second shift, that would be appreciated.
There are 3 main shifts. The duties are listed within each shift below. Each shift includes a t-shirt and food.
6:00 AM – 10:00 AM (breakfast provided, with special thanks to Whole Foods Market and East End Food Co-op)
● Table/chair set-up, requires golf cart driving or riding, heavy lifting/moving
● Clean up and prepare boating area, requires bending and lifting
● Hang signs, requires walking the grounds
● Assist with exhibitor check-in, requires golf cart driving or riding
● Miscellaneous running/floating, may require light lifting and walking or golf cart usage
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (lunch provided, with special thanks to Whole Foods Market and East End Food Co-op)
● Traffic directors, requires standing during shift
● Trash collectors, requires golf cart driving or riding, light lifting/moving
● working the raffle tent
● Working the Venture Outdoors informational tent, should have knowledge of our programs, mission, etc.
● Miscellaneous running/floating, may require light lifting and walking or golf cart usage
2:00 – 6:00 PM (after party picnic, generously sponsored by the Pittsburgh Voyager)
● Traffic directors, requires standing during shift
● Trash collectors, requires golf cart driving or riding, light lifting/moving
● Working the raffle tent
● Working the Venture Outdoors informational tent, should have knowledge of our programs, mission, etc.
● Tear down of event, requires light lifting/moving
● Miscellaneous running/floating, may require light lifting and walking or golf cart usage
P.S. The volunteer opportunities in the above comment come to you courtesy of Venture Outdoors. If you'd like to help out with these shifts in addition to your Pfish shifts, please contact the VO people directly: signup@ventureoutdoors.org or call 412.255.0564.
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