More than 600 shifts were filled by volunteers at last month’s two-day Rock the Garden festival, making it our largest volunteer event of the year. Volunteers assist at nearly every turn on the Walker campus: festival entrances, Eureka Recycling’s zero-waste composting stations, beer tents, and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden VIP areas! We are continually delighted and impressed by the dedication, energy, and pure excitement that volunteers bring to this event. We love our volunteers! From their stories, it sounds like they had a great time, too!
Susan Mikutowski:
I was positioned at the entrance putting on wrist bands. All the attendants were pleasant and cordial. That fact made the wrist band application streamlined and easy. I enjoyed saying a few words to each visitor, welcoming them and saying, “Please enjoy the show.” I think that they appreciated this, which made me feel good about the job I was doing. Even without that, I felt good about having this opportunity to help out at Rock the Garden. I’m so thankful for the extraordinary organization of all of the volunteers. It must have been an enormous endeavor to coordinate everyone.
Emily Davis:
This year was my very first experience and I enjoyed every minute! It was wonderful to people watch while listening to some awesome performances.
Courtney Kleckner:
My favorite part of Rock the Garden was meeting Caroline Smith! I was able to chat with her for a few moments at the entrance. I love meeting local artists.
Jennie Eisert:
I have been volunteering at RTG since 2008 on the Green Team (helping make this large scale event waste free). This year I had an awesome time volunteering with my buddy Carla. The day was beautiful, and the bands were great. Lizzo from the Chalice was amazing, and De La Sol knocked it out of the park. I’ve learned so much about composting and have thought about what an accomplishment it would be for Minneapolis to become the first (at least 90%) waste-free city!
Ashlee Haluptzok:
2014 marks my fourth year volunteering at Rock the Garden. I look forward to that precious weekend every single year. The atmosphere is my favorite part. Everyone is so excited, happy, and friendly. This year was my first time wrist-banding at the entrances, and it was a whirlwind of fun. Greeting attendees into the greatest summer festival in Minnesota is enlightening and put a permanent smile on my face that weekend. The volunteer program at Walker is extremely organized. Crystal and her team truly make the experience inviting and uplifting. You can tell how appreciated you are the second you put on your volunteer t-shirt.
Bonnie Berquam:
What a well-organized volunteer event! I’m proud to be involved with a zero-waste event and impressed that it can be done! People at the event were so nice and accommodating with keeping the site clean and manageable.
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