VOLUNTEER

RUN, CHEER, VOLUNTEER! 

Here is an opportunity to help thousands of runners successfully cross the finish line at the 2012 Wells Fargo Tar Heel 10 Miler. Our volunteers are the most important factor in truly making this event  North Carolina’s Premier Running Experience! Endurance Magazine events are known for being extremely well-organized in every regard, including volunteer management.

Sign up today and be sure to invite family members and friends to join you. We guarantee it will be a rewarding experience!

RAISE MONEY FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION!
The mission for all Endurance Magazine race events is to provide top-quality events to athletes of all abilities and to support local organizations and charities. This year, the Wells Fargo Tar Heel 10 Miler presented by CEP and the Fleet Feet 4+ Mile Run is excited to offer donations to charities and non-profit organizations in exchange for volunteer services.  Donation amounts vary, depending on the assignment and number of volunteers provided.  Volunteering is a great way to promote your group or organization. We would love to get as many organizations involved as possible, and will even feature your group on our website. For specific information on how your organization can partner with the Tar Heel 10 Miler, please [email us!]

SPECIAL THANKS TO TURN LEAF ORGANIZING!
Special thanks to Elisabeth Galperin, owner of Turn Leaf Organizing, for carefully managing every detail related to volunteer management. For information about Turn Leaf events, services and more go to www.turnleaforganizing.com.

TESTIMONIAL:
“As a volunteer for the Wachovia Tar Heel 10 Miler, I was very well informed prior to and during race day. The race team gave detailed information regarding what my role would be, what I needed to know for my safety and the safety of others, and reminded us that the goal was to make it fun with our smiles and cheers. On race day, I felt welcomed from the start, and really felt that I was important and making a difference.” - Maya L, Chapel Hill resident

AVAILABLE VOLUNTEER POSITIONS & SHIFTS:
Choose one of the positions below and click on the red REGISTER ONLINE button to sign up. Note that you will be redirected to SPORToften.com, at which point you’ll have to indicate which position you wish to select at the beginning during the online registration.

/// Course Monitors
You are the GPS system that runners most appreciate and cannot do without. Volunteers along the course first-and-foremost provide safety to the runners and spectators, and it certainly makes your job more enjoyable by providing cheers of support and encouragement as the runners pass by. This is a long, 10-mile course, so course monitor volunteers will work within smaller teams under the direction of captains according to the course “zones” (campus, downtown, Gimghoul, etc). Volunteers will have flags and cow bells and will need a loud voice to direct and cheer on the runners as they pass.  If you enjoy being on the front lines, this is the job for you!

Shift: 7:00-10:00 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Race Day Packet Pick-Up
Help create an atmosphere of excitement and friendly competition on race day at the Packet Pick-Up tables, where runners who have not yet picked up their materials will be checked in prior to the 7:30 am start time.  Volunteers will assist with distributing bibs, participant t-shirts and timing chips.

Shift: 5:30-8:00 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Parking Monitors
Grab your orange flags and be on patrol!  Parking Lot Monitors will direct & assist participants parking in the designated event parking lot (near the Dean Dome).  Some volunteers will be assigned to the path to direct participants from the designated parking lot to the Start Line Area.  A few parking monitors will be assigned to guard Rams Head Deck entrance and keep participants from parking in this deck.

Shift: 6:00-8:00 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Start Line Set-Up
Help the race crew prepare the start line to accommodate thousands of excited and energized participants. We’ll need you early, but you get to leave early too. Tasks include unloading race materials from the truck, placing banners, building the start line, and more. These volunteers will be asked to assist with heavy lifting and physical work; consider this your workout for the day!

Shift: 5:30-7:30 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Bag Check
One of the “luxuries” all runners appreciate, the Bag Check volunteers will collect runners’ personal items (warm-up clothing, keys, phones) and store them in an organized fashion using the runners’ bib numbers until the runners return to collect their belongings. This job is fun and rewarding; you will get to see the runners’ nervous faces before the race, and joyful expressions afterwards!

Shift: 6:00-10:30 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Start Line Ambassadors
These volunteers get to wear many hats.  Prior to the runners’ arrival, we may use your manpower to help set-up the start area and create an atmosphere of excitement and friendly competition. Once participants arrive, you will become a walking information booth! Volunteers in this area will have course maps and finish line information, and will float around the start area to answer runners’ last-minute questions. You will be in the midst of high energy and excitement as the runners prepare for the race, so be ready for an uplifting morning! Once the 10 mile runners have started, we’ll need your help to get the start line ready for the 4 mile runners.

Shift: 6:30-8:30 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Start Line Corral Monitors
As the start line area begins to fill up, Corral Monitors will assist runners in lining up behind the start line according to their expected running time (minutes/mile). Monitors will have signs marked with these times and will want to have a strong voice ready to cheer the runners on when the gun goes off. Once the 10 mile runners have started, we’ll need your help to get the start line ready for the 4 mile runners.

Shift: 6:30-8:30 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Finish Line Set-Up
The best part of a race is finishing, right? Help us make the finish line experience unforgettable for our runners. We’ll need you early, but you get to leave early too. Of course we welcome you to stay and applaud the runners as they reach their goal at the finish line. Tasks include setting up tables, sorting medals, posting banners, setting up refreshments, etc. These volunteers will be asked to assist with heavy lifting and physical work; consider this your workout for the day,

Shift: 5:30-7:45 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Finish Line Runner Escorts
After crossing the finish line, the tired yet excited runners will need to be escorted from the finish area to the refreshments area, where they can cool down, relax, and meet up to celebrate with family & friends. The finish line area is a definite “hot spot” that will need to remain clear so that all runners have a positive and memorable finish. As a volunteer in this area, we will need your smiles, enthusiasm, and assertiveness in escorting the runners to a safe space away from the busy finish line.

Shift: 7:00-10:30 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Finish Line Assistants
As the runners cross the finish line, the real celebration begins! This role involves handing out medals & water bottles to each individual as they cross the finish line. This is a very exciting but busy area, so don’t be surprised if we ask you to assist in some other activities. Flexibility is a good trait for these volunteers.

Shift: 7:00-11:00 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Refreshments
Refreshment volunteers will help provide the runners with well-deserved snacks and drinks when they cross the finish line. Pre-race activities include setting up tables and water coolers, and putting together “snack bags” that will contain a mix of post-race foods (bagels, fruit, etc.). Once the finishers start pouring in, you’ll be handing out the bags and drinks, keeping the area organized and presentable, and perhaps even handing out a few high fives!

Shift: 7:00-11:00 AM, Race Day, April 21st  

/// Post Race Clean Up
Want to help out but hate getting up early?  Here is the job for you. This group of hard-working volunteers will arrive as the race is winding down and will help the race crew restore order to campus. We need your strength and energy to break down equipment, load up the truck and leave campus looking as good as – if not better than – it did when we arrived.

Shift: 9:30-11:00, Race Day, April 21st  

VOLUNTEER TRAINING PARTY: APRIL 18th
All volunteers are asked to attend the Pre-Race Training. This will be located at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA at  980 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 [map] from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm. We will meet on the outside field area behind the YMCA building. The indoor gym is the back-up location if the weather doesn’t cooperate. We will have food and drinks for you to enjoy, and goody bags to show our appreciation for your support. Mark your calendars now!

VOLUNTEER BENEFITS:
Volunteers are the most important part of a well organized and successful event. Every little task and detail is important to the overall athlete experience.
Here are just a few of the benefits to volunteering!
/// Awesome gift bag with lots of great goodies (presented at volunteer training party)
/// Free race crew t-shirt
/// Make a difference in the lives of runners and raise money for important local charities
/// Have lots of fun as you out out your local community

IMPORTANT REMINDER:
Volunteers are the most important part of a well organized and successful event. Every little task and detail is important to the overall athlete experience. The day, time of day and activity that you help with is very important. Please don’t sign up to volunteer unless you are sure you will be able to attend.  Each person has an intricate role; no-shows can cause great difficulties from the planning stage to the execution stage of the race. We ask that you report on time and stay on task for the duration of your shift.

BECOME A VOLUNTEER SPONSOR ORGANIZATION AND RECEIVE A DONATION!
[contact us] for more details! Special thanks to the following organizations confirmed for 2012!

Bounce Back Kids

BounceBack Kids’ mission is to bring together and serve kids with life-challenging medical conditions to enrich the lives of participants and their families.

We serve not only children who are ill but also their parents/guardians and siblings.  Our programs recognize the harsh but sometimes forgotten reality that every family member struggles when a child has a life-challenging medical condition.  Siblings participate alongside their ill brothers and sisters when we play basketball or do arts and crafts. We offer parents the opportunity to join their children at fun activities or to take some time for respite.  We strive to create positive experiences and happy memories during challenging times. Our goals are to bring support and joy to the entire family while enabling our families to build strong relationships with one another.

Saludamos of Sustain Foundation

 The Saludamos of Sustain Foundation is a bilingual, intercultural women’s wellness group. Our mission is to improve wellness of Latina women and their families in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area through strengthened social networks, wellness education and exercise.  Saludamos activities include group walks, yoga and zumba classes, bilingual healthy cooking classes, and community gardening. We provide free childcare during all activities. Saludamos strives to create a mutually beneficial relationship for all involved, including participants, volunteers and community organizations. Learn more about this great organization at http://www.sustainfoundation.org/saludamos.html.

The Orange/Durham Carolina Club

The Orange/Durham Carolina Club serves the more than 27,000 UNC alumni living in Orange and Durham Counties with a mission to inform, conform and involve alumni in the life of the University through a variety of social, cultural and service events. Learn more at the Orange/Durham Carolina Club’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/orangedurham.

 

 

The Campus Y

The Campus Y is the center for social justice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Both a part of the Division of Student Affairs and a student-driven organization, the Campus Y engages in a wide array of social justice issues particularly through its 32 committees, all of which strive to achieve the Y’s mission: the pursuit of social justice through the cultivation of pluralism. Visit the Campus Y building on Cameron Avenue or learn more about the Y at campus-y.unc.edu!