Volunteer At Riverbend
No matter how good a bargain Riverbend is, with its 8 days of music, 100 acts, and 5 stages – there will always be people that cannot afford it. For some, it is just too much money to spend – not because it isn’t a good deal, but rather it just isn’t in the budget. I understand that.
Well, your old friend Bob Payne is going to solve that problem for you, too. The answer is rather simple and quite genius – volunteer to work Riverbend. Here’s what you get for working just two 5-hour shifts spread over the entire 8 days: 1 free badge good for admission to the entire festival, a t-shirt, VIP free Parking pass, a late summer luncheon cruise on the wonderful Southern Belle riverboat, and snacks and beverages while you are working at Riverbend. But, you must join up quickly, as volunteer orientations are this week.
How about those apples? If you are a nice person and make friends easily, you can also meet lifelong friends there while volunteering. Many of the 1,500 volunteers have done just that. A few have done even more – they tied the knot with a fellow volunteer met while working the festival. Some of the Riverbend volunteers only see each other during the festival, once a year. Others become friends and interact socially throughout the year. It was Riverbend that brought them together.
I was once a volunteer myself and now I practically run the place. (That’s a bit of a stretch, but they do let me run the copy machine sometimes - with supervision) I know your going to ask what kind of things does one have to do as a volunteer. That’s the really cool part – you can request the type of things you would like to do. It can range from checking for wristbands at the entrances, to counting the 14 gazillion tokens each night, to filling the dozens and dozens of ice chests, to being a part of Riverbend’s “Green Team” effort to recycle, to crowd safety around one of the 5 stages, and if you are really good and trustworthy, transporting the artists to and fro. It would really be cool if new volunteers had to wash and wax my car each day, but that isn’t on the list of available duties.
So, let’s recap. You get into the festival for free, even on off-duty nights. You can park for free. Your water and PowerAde is free while you are working, you get a T-shirt, you get a riverboat cruise, you get to make new friends, and you get to pick your shift times and days, and you get to pick from a great list of duties. Another cool part is that you need not be nervous, as there are hundreds of folks just like you coming in for their first time.
Now for the easy part – here’s how you volunteer. You can go to http://www.riverbendfestival.com/volunteer and sign up from a computer. Don’t try it from your cellphone, as it won’t work and all of your pets will get fleas. If you have no way of signing up on a computer, give Gina or Patty a call at 423-756-2211 and they will be happy to assist you. Ask Gina where she met her husband. That’s right – you guessed it.
Once again, you must act quickly, as the Riverbend volunteer orientations are this week and you really need to attend so you can learn all the ropes about volunteering. Come have some fun!
Bob Payne grew up in Chattanooga and graduated from Baylor School. He is the Entertainment Editor for the Chattanoogan.com and books talent for the Riverbend Festival.
Email Bob Payne at davrik2000@yahoo.com or catch him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/davrik2000.