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Helping hands
More than 500 volunteers essential to success of festival
They can be found at intersections
directing traffic, on streets offering
directions, at the blind canoe race and
the cold butt euchre tournament,
throughout the art show and every-
where else during the Milford
Memories festival.
The nearly 500 volunteers of all ages
are easily identified with their bright,
royal blue shirts with the Milford
Memories logo and the word volunteer
displayed across the back and chest.
“We simply could not do this with-
out them,” said Scott Rolando who has
been one of the volunteer coordinators
for the event for the past two years. He
and fellow coordinator Jenny Cullen
enlist the volunteers each year through
social media, other publicity forums
andword of mouth. Rolandowas quick
to point out thatmany of the volunteers
return year after year, some for
decades, to help at the unique Milford
Memories event.
“We get people from the entire sur-
rounding area,” he said. The volun-
teers usually start at the event through
the high schools, especially the
National Honor Society students look-
ing for volunteer hours, and thenmany
of them continue annually because
they enjoy the event. The oldest volun-
teers are, well, older, Rolando said, but
every one of them does a great job and
is crucial to the success of the event.
“We need every one of them and their
help.”
Rolando, a biology and student lead-
ership teacher at Lakeland High
School in White Lake, helps out at the
Huron Valley Chamber of Commerce
each year and admits that when he
first became involved in helping coor-
dinate 500 volunteers, it was somewhat
overwhelming.
“But, the system is so organized,” he
said. “We have data bases of informa-
tion as each volunteer fills out an
application. We have the information
and can use it to make the assign-
ments. Many of the volunteers have
long-standing assignments they fulfill
every year.”
Rolando said the assignments are
on a grid system so that he and Cullen
know exactly where and how many
people are neededduring the event.
“When we have enough volunteers
at one area or event, we know we can
move on to the next,” he said. “It's pret-
ty efficient.” Still, he admits, 16 years
as a classroom teacher does help in
coordinating the volunteers.
“The chamber wouldn't be able to
do this, to have this festival, if it weren't
for these volunteers. They really are
instrumental in the success of the
event. We are grateful to every one of
the. We couldn't do it without them,”
Rolando said.
Huron Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Joell Beether, from left,
above, volunteer Jason Sellers, Volunteer Coordinator Scott Rolando and volun-
teer Christy Iaquaniello were all smiles during the festival last year. Below, volun-
teers have a great time no matter what their festival assignment might be.
