Waste Warriors Assemble!

April 14, 2014October 30, 2015 kaylee@volunteerlocal.com

What’s a party without waste? Awesome, that’s what. Take the challenge this Saturday, April 19th to find out how to have a good time without waste at Des Moines’ first ever waste-free festival: the Recycle Revolution.

RecycleMe Iowa was founded after Chief Recycling Officer Ciji Mitrisin saw a lack of opportunity for apartment residents and local businesses to live waste-free. A few conversations, brainstorming sessions and nine months of hard work later, the Recycle Revolution was born.

Get to the festival for free: VOLUNTEER!

“It’s an Earth Day event that also immediately implements an earthly solution,” says Mitrisin. “Music and arts are two great ways to inspire the community. Recycle Revolution is our grassroots way of exhibiting just how much the community wants to become more eco-friendly, given the right tools.”

Don’t be confused, this is no ordinary revolution. The family-friendly event begins with a block party – completely waste free (yep, you heard that right). The fun starts at noon on East 5th Street between Grand and Locust in the East Village. Special perks to those who bring a hard-to-recycle item to donate: $5 off concert admission, 1 free food or drink token, 1 raffle ticket, or five free UP/DOWN tickets.

Designing your very own recycled tee is just one of the many fun and innovative ways Recycle Revolution is keeping the community waste free. A local screen printer will be onsite to print your designs on recycled tees from Goodwill. Committee members even did some experimenting to come up with a recycled spinning paint machine to make spin art. Recycled paint is used on you guessed it, recycled paper, with a repurposed fan. Get in the groove by heading over to the Jam station with some instruments made from recycled materials.

Recycle Revolution leaves no waste. Nothing. None. Not only will activities be waste-free, but vendors like Local Yocals and Mo’ Rub will serve up delicious menu items using only compostable and recyclable materials. Through innovative ideas, Recycling Revolution is out to create Zero Waste Warriors.

“Zero Waste Warriors are our volunteers who manage zero waste stations at Recycle Revolution, but they are so much more,” says Mitrisin. “Your title and work connection becomes who you are; how you view trash. For our cause, it’s saving the planet through teaching the difference between compostable and recyclable items.”

At 6:00 p.m. the block party moves off the street for a concert at Wooly’s featuring: SHEL, Dustin Smith and the Sunday Silos, James Biehn Band and River Glen. Tickets for the concert can be purchased on Tikly for $15.00 prior or $20.00 the day of the event.

Hy-Vee Road Races

April 3, 2014October 30, 2015 kaylee@volunteerlocal.com

HVRR Start Line — Photo cred: Des Moines Register

The second annual Hy-Vee Road Races at the Drake Relays combines three major distance competitions, a 5K race, a 10K race and a Half Marathon – all in one day.

On Sunday, April 27th, Hy-Vee Road Race runners will storm the streets of downtown Des Moines (earning this event it’s namesake). Runners will start and finish their respective courses at the Drake Stadium, home of the Drake Relays. The Hy-Vee Road Races Half Marathon boasts the largest prize-purse in the world, $80,000, with a total prize-purse of $120,000 for all three races combined.

What makes this event truly special, however, is the impact it has on the Greater Des Moines community. “The Hy-Vee Road Races puts Des Moines on the map,” says Michael Zimmerman, a Hy-Vee Road Races Organizer. “We are fortunate to have a company like Hy-Vee that’s willing to offer a huge prize purse, and willing to work with Drake to bring in this great talent to Des Moines.”

The Hy-Vee Road Races brings together athletes of all types. “There isn’t a separate race for the pros,” says Zimmerman. “Everyone stands at the start-line together, and everybody crosses the same finish line.” In addition to the notoriously large prize-purse for the top finishers of each race, this event offers a lot of good prizes for mini-categories, which Zimmerman believes helps to invigorate the local running community. “Des Moines is really a health-centric community,” he says. “And not just in the way that encourages everybody to healthy, but to make the city itself this mecca of fitness.”

The Hy-Vee Road Races is powered by a rock solid volunteer force. “That’s another great thing about putting on events in Des Moines,” Zimmerman adds. “You get so many people who might not be able to participate in the event – but still look to get involved through volunteering.” Whether it’s distributing medals at the finish line, holding it down as a course marshal or working the gear bag station – volunteers make it all happen for the Hy-Vee Road Races.

There are plenty of volunteer spots available – sign up today and get involved in this spring’s biggest, boldest celebration of athleticism!

Dirty Girl Mud Run

February 28, 2014October 30, 2015 kaylee@volunteerlocal.com

It’s a dirty girl nation.

Mud, sweat, tears, obstacles…and empowerment.

For the past three years Dirty Girl Mud Run has left a pretty empowering trail across 25 cities in the United States. The women-only, non-competitive 5K run (complete with mud pits, rope ladders and slides), is a partner organization to the nonprofit Bright Pink which provides support for women who have been affected or are at-risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

With 25 events across the nation, and more than 100,000 participants conquering 12 obstacles, all while managing 10,000+ volunteers – a more streamlined process that balanced differentiating markets and a consistent brand image became a necessity. Luckily, Dirty Girl’s Operations Manager, Mindy McPherson, recognized the need for a technology solution right away and set to work on finding the right provider.

“(I) was researching other events to see what people needed and how they managed volunteers, VolunteerLocal just seemed to fit the bill,” says McPherson. “VolunteerLocal gives us the opportunity to manage the program according to our own needs, versus managing multiple spreadsheets.”

Unlike many 5K runs, Dirty Girl isn’t about finishing first. In fact, it isn’t even timed! To McPherson (and Dirty Girl runners everywhere), this event is about empowering women to conquer fear and overcome obstacles, even in the face of a foe much more terrifying than a slippery mud pit: cancer. Combine this passion for women’s health with their executive team and the thousands of volunteers who make it happen in every city – and you can see why the Dirty Girl Mud Run (despite it’s noncompetitive nature) is sweeping the competition in every other way.

With VolunteerLocal, McPherson believes 2014 will be the best year yet. “We love the program’s flexibility and VolunteerLocal’s consideration to build out and tailor it to our needs,” she says. “It’s truly a comprehensive volunteer program. We’ve asked for some custom features, and they delivered.”

We are proud to empower the Dirty Girl Mud Run and join the fight against breast and ovarian cancer. If you’re a woman reading this, we encourage you to visit their website at www.godirtygirl.com and register to run (you can do it!), or simply explore some of the great strides this organization has made on behalf of Bright Pink.

Go ahead – get your hands dirty. Sign up to volunteer for the Dirty Girl Mud Run in your city today!

Peace. Love. & Mud.

Hello, I’m Theresa!

January 31, 2014October 30, 2015 kaylee@volunteerlocal.com

Hey there people of the internet!

I’m Theresa Kelly, new Content Marketer/Intern/Person at VolunteerLocal hailing all the way from Elk Grove Village, IL or as I’d like to refer to it … “Chicago.” Currently I’m a senior at Drake University studying public relations, entrepreneurial management and any other class I can take relating to health, the arts or design.

A little about me; behind my new found love for yoga, sick dance moves and smile which all happen to be very mellow sounding, my music playlist tends to lean more alternative. My Chemical Romance’s Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge album – love!

As an experienced volunteer and music lover intrigued by Des Moines’ startup community, I am so excited to be a part of the VolunteerLocal team. I get to work with a great team of passionate people in a cool work environment where I get to see technology innovators and big thinkers make ideas come to life every day. Not only that, but the software serves people and organizations who do a variety of really cool things for great causes like Habitat for Humanity, Des Moines Arts Festival and Summer Camp Music Festival.

I’m excited because I know VolunteerLocal is succeeding with the variety of clients we work with and the impact our software has on a client’s event planning experience, yet we still have so much room to grow and be known. The possibilities are endless at VolunteerLocal. I’d like to see our festival clientele grow, get more news media features and in general, generate more conversation with current and potential clients on the web.

If you’d like to connect follow me on Twitter at @teeekelly, on LinkedIn, or take a peek into www.theresa-kelly.com to see some of the other cool things I’ve done, I’d love to meet ya!

– T

Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival

January 30, 2014November 2, 2015 kaylee@volunteerlocal.com

What kind of event sells 12,000 tickets in 42 minutes, with ticket-holders in 41 states and countries as far away as Brazil, China, Denmark and Puerto Rico? Nope, not Justin Bieber. Not even Beyonce. It’s the annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival, and it happens right here in Des Moines, Iowa.

Now in it’s seventh year, ‘BaconFest’ (as it is affectionately coined) has become as much a staple holiday as it is a food group to many of its most devoted fans. This year’s BaconFest staff expect around 13,000 bacon enthusiasts in attendance – and when we say bacon enthusiasts, we mean it.

Each year, BaconFest is produced by the fabulous team at In Any Event, a full-service event planning company in Des Moines. “In Any Event started about ten years ago,” says Mindy Toyne, Owner of In Any Event and Event Director for the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival. “Our first event was Des Moines’ Oktoberfest. Since then, large scale public events have become our company’s core focus.”

Bacon Explosion! — Photo cred: Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival

The Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival was born when the original founders (now dubbed the ‘Bacon Board’) sat down with Toyne over a happy afternoon of drinks and brainstorming to hammer out the concept: a festival to celebrate Iowa beer, Iowa bacon and general buffoonery. “It was pretty popular that first year,” says Toyne, “and the next year it doubled in size.”

The Bacon Board continued organizing the event on their own until it became so large that In Any Event needed to jump back in, this time with VolunteerLocal in their toolbox. “We’re able to partner with VolunteerLocal to fill crucial jobs and shifts during our major events,” Toyne explains. “A lot of times our needs from a staffing standpoint can’t be provided through an internal structure, which is what makes volunteers so important to us.”

For Toyne and the entire Bacon Board, however, it’s about more than just the bacon. It’s about improving the quality of life for Central Iowans, supporting local farmers and building that sense of camaraderie in the Midwest. “Many of these events have charity components to them as well,” adds Toyne. “BaconFest is one that gives a considerable amount of money to a handful of charities every year.”

For more festival or ticket sales information go to www.blueribbonbaconfestival.com, “like” Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival on Facebook, or follow @BRBaconfest on Twitter.

OHHHHHH BACON!

Operation: Make a Difference

January 10, 2014November 2, 2015 kaylee@volunteerlocal.com

Calling all nonprofits! Far Reach, a software, web-design and internet marketing company is hosting a contest for one nonprofit to win a free development project (website, software, or app) – custom-built and lightning fast. “Make a Difference is the first of our company’s eleven core values,” says Megan Horn, Marketing Specialist at Far Reach. “We decided it would be awesome if we could take one project and do it – from start to finish for a nonprofit organization in need.”

Interested nonprofits can submit their applications for consideration via Far Reach’s Facebook page. Applications are due by Sunday, January 26. Far Reach will choose up to five finalists, based on information submitted in the application, including project scope, potential impact, level of need, and more. Those finalists will collect votes to determine the final winning project, which will be announced February 17.

“The community gives to us and we want to give back.” – Megan Horn, Marketing Specialist, Far Reach

“It’s really open,” says Horn. “We purposefully didn’t put a lot of limits on what we’re willing to build. We want to see what’s out there and what people need.” Whatever it may be, the Far Reach team will attempt to finish the winning project in one weekend – a feat that touches on the company’s second core value: We’re a Team. “The weekend project is going to be a true test of that,” laughs Horn. “There’s no room for picking up slack!”

Operation: Make a Difference isn’t a surprising endeavor for those who are familiar with Far Reach and the active role this company takes to support and empower the greater community. Far Reach is a sponsor of the Technology Association’s networking event, Tech Brew, and many of the company’s employees participated in a kick-ball league last year. Horn adds, “a lot of our business is local, too.”

Want to apply? Throw your name in the hat before the January 26th deadline! And from all of us here at VolunteerLocal, may the odds be ever in your favor.

The American Lung Association

January 3, 2014November 2, 2015 kaylee@volunteerlocal.com 1 Comment

They call it the “Vertical Mile.”

The American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb challenges it’s participants to climb three consecutive stairwells (totaling 66 flights) in buildings throughout downtown Des Moines. “Participants can choose to climb one, two or all three buildings,” says Renee Searle, Special Events Coordinator for the American Lung Association. “They can do so as an individual climber or with a team.”

On March 16th, 2014 Iowa’s Fight for Air ‘climbers’ will conquer the stairwells of three separate downtown venues: the Downtown Des Moines Marriott (32 flights), the Hub Tower (18 flights), and EMC Insurance Companies (16 flights). “The climbers only take the elevator to go back down the steps and to the skywalks,” says Searle. For many, the skywalks in-between each building are a nice, horizontal break during the climb.

“Thanks to VolunteerLocal we are reaching more potential volunteers and sharing our mission with more people than we could have done on our own!” – Renee Searle, Special Events Coordinator, the American Lung Association

Last year’s Fight for Air Climb raised over $200,000. These funds are channeled into education, advocacy work, and research for lung disease – a cause that, for many, is more than worthy of this breathtaking feat of vertical prowess. Whether it’s a group of local firefighters who climb the steps wearing all their gear (over 70lbs of equipment), or competitive teams from local gyms completing the climb as a fitness challenge (amen!) – 90% of every dollar they raise goes back to the mission. Pretty impressive stuff.

You might think that coordinating volunteers for an event this large would be an organizational conquest akin to that of climbing 66 flights of stairs. With VolunteerLocal, however, Searle has all the tools she needs to dominate her volunteer recruitment and coordination process.

“VolunteerLocal has provided us with a great way to stretch our arms and reach volunteers. It is very user-friendly, easy to set up events and provide all of the details potential volunteers need to know.” Searle began using VolunteerLocal in September. She explains, “I knew right then we would be back for all future events to come.”

The Festival Guy

December 24, 2013November 2, 2015 kaylee@volunteerlocal.com

FestivalCrowds — Photo cred: lostinsound.org

The lights, the music, the vibe – it’s all a part of the festival experience, as any veteran attendee can attest. At once a gathering space for food vendors, artists, free spirits and seasoned organizers, festivals also serve as a point of connection for many small transient communities, and the birthplace of some very cool entrepreneurial ventures.

Among them, The Festival Guy (aka Tucker Gumber) – festival enthusiast and do-gooder, community builder and advocate, all rolled into one. Seriously, this guy has been to a ton of festivals – and yes, while he’s probably having a blast and making so many friends even Mr. Rogers has gotta shout – he’s also passionate about improving the festival experience for other patrons. How? By publishing reviews of the festivals he attends.

Whether it’s Coachella or Bonnaroo, Electric Daisy Carnival or Burning Man – the Festival Guy gives his honest and thoughtful reflections on the equivalent of what those of us the in the tech world call the ‘end user experience.’

And these aren’t the WordPress ramblings of a festival-fanatic gone viral. The Festival Guy’s reviews started to gain popularity way back in 2011 – his approach was brilliantly simple: he described the crowd, the organization of events, the stages and what made the festival special. It didn’t take long before Gumber’s reviews caught the attention of the festival organizers themselves – and today, several festivals operate more efficiently (and cleanly) after implementing changes suggested by the Festival Guy.

FestEvo

Several years and many festivals later, The Festival Guy started to notice a trend. Although the festivals he attends are quite different in style and scope (imagine huge crowds dancing to electronic music – cut scene to a circle of hand-drummers around a bonfire), many of those festivals were experiencing the same problems. His solution? ‘FestEvo,’ an app to bring together festival-goers, artists and festival organizers. FestEvo streamlines communication between these groups, improves the festival experience and keeps attendees coming back, year-after-year.

Sounds pretty cool, right? Click here to support his indie-gogo campaign (we did): http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/festevo

#GivingTuesday

December 3, 2013November 2, 2015 kaylee@volunteerlocal.com

Photo cred: care.org

Put away those stretchy jeans and bag up the leftovers because ladies and gentlemen, the in-laws have left the building! Thanksgiving may be over (and hey – the leftovers might already be gone, too), but that doesn’t mean we’re not still feeling the holiday cheer. This week, VolunteerLocal is celebrating #GivingTuesday by giving away five free single-event upgrades to the following nonprofit organizations.

We invite you to join us for this year’s #GivingTuesday by donating, volunteering or giving back in some small way to a charity or nonprofit of your choice. You can learn more online at the #GivingTuesday website, or by searching #GivingTuesday on Twitter. Unsure where to give? Check out this Forbes list of the top U.S. charities. Let’s break some records!

1. Side by Side Kids is a faith-based, after-school neighborhood recreational program anchored in East Austin’s St. John’s community. We journey side-by-side with kids from kindergarten to 5th grade, encouraging and equipping them to reach their highest God-given potential as everyday leaders and heroes of tomorrow. Learn more: http://www.sidebysidekids.org/

2. Midland Community Theatre sets the stage for thespians in Midland, Texas. The Midland Theatre features educational programming, scholarships for students in financial need and each year hosts the McLaren Memorial Comedy Playwriting Competition. Their upcoming show is Annie, the story of an iconic orphan who is selected to spend time at the residence of the wealthy Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks. Learn more: http://www.mctmidland.org/.

3. Pasadena Pride Center serves the entire San Gabriel Valley, celebrating diversity and acknowledging the dignity of all LGBT people, especially providing support and a “shelter from the storm” for LGBT youth. Learn more: http://www.goodshepherdpasadena.com/pasadenapridecenter.html

4. Boulder Parks & Recreation manages three recreation centers, popular recreation class programming, the Boulder Reservoir, Valmont Bike Park, and much more. This year, Boulder’s own Valmont Bike Park will host the USA Cyclo-Cross Nationals. The event will take place this January and requires nearly 500 volunteers. Learn more: https://bouldercolorado.gov/

5. The Peewee Tournament is a statewide junior wrestling tournament in Iowa – the culmination of which will take place in Dubuque, Iowa on January 10th-12th. Calling all parents, board members and students! Volunteers needed! Click here to sign up today.

Arizona, Art, and Culture (Oh My!)

November 25, 2013November 2, 2015 kaylee@volunteerlocal.com

Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, expansion and creation of arts and culture in Southern Arizona.

The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance seeks to enhance access to the arts and to promote cultural awareness, through the production of large-scale festivals, seasonal events and other collaborative and cross-sector programming. The Alliance also administers educational opportunities in arts and culture for all ages.

“SAACA’s events and programs are built through collaboration, creating a true foundation for community engagement,” says Chelsey Killebrew, Communications Director for the Agency. “We focus on economic development through the arts via strategic business partnerships to ensure the arts remain a core value in the community for years to come.”

“We exist because we know that the arts are a powerful vehicle for communication, a way to express ideas that are beyond the capacity of words and a medium for cultural enlightenment.” – Chelsey Killebrew, Communications Director for the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance

Each year, the SAACA works with more than 1,000 local and national visual artists to create opportunities to exhibit and sell their artwork, hires more than 400 unique local musicians and groups to perform, partners with 12 local schools to implement a music education program, and provides hundreds of opportunities for all ages to engage in arts and culture through free community events.

As you can probably imagine, putting on all these programs and events is no easy task – the Alliance relies on hundreds of volunteers each year to make their mission a reality. “Before using VolunteerLocal, we would contact our volunteers via email listing the opportunities that were available, and if we got a low recruitment response to a particular event we would contact them via phone,” says Killebrew. “We are having success recruiting new and younger volunteers with VolunteerLocal, and would recommend it to other organizations.” Want to get involved? You can sign up for the Oro Valley Festival of the Arts today!

SAACA is currently launching two much-needed programs in arts education and therapeutic arts for the community. Volunteers at fundraising and outreach events are needed now more than ever. The education program connects students and administers to a comprehensive resource of high-quality arts education programs, and the therapeutic arts program integrates arts as form of healing for veterans at the Southern Arizona VA hospital.

Happy Volunteering Blog

Author: kaylee@volunteerlocal.com