Carnival of volunteers
Success of Summerside Lobster Carnival dependent on people to execute the plan
A key ingredient in the production of the 62nd Summerside Lobster Carnival will be the volunteers and many have come forward again this year to help out.
One of the main ingredients in the production of a successful event is the volunteers who step up to the plate to help execute the program. Their offerings of time and talents are priceless.
For 61 years the Summerside Lobster Carnival has counted on volunteers to be the backbone of the festival and the 2017 edition is no different.
Lori Ellis of Culture Summerside, which has been tasked with presenting the 2017 carnival, is pleased with the spirit of community response for volunteering.
“I sincerely appreciate that people are willing, in the midst of summer, to dedicate time to the carnival. Community is built on the willingness of its members to give back to the common good, and the response puts Summerside in good standing.” Perhaps the hottest volunteer job for the carnival is that of mascot. Dylan Allen put his hand up for the job, knowing full well what it involved – a heavy lobster suit combined with July weather. Allen was the mascot about five years ago and decided he wanted to give it another go.
“Yes, the costume is hot, but the pleasure of interacting with people, in particular the children, and bringing a smile to their faces is worth a little heat,” said Allen, an active volunteer
in the community.
Joe McIntyre stepped up to help with the parade and as of July 8, he was still seeking about eight people to help man the barricades along the parade route.
McIntyre says, “It is only a couple of hours of community service and you are assured a perfect vantage point to see the parade. Just give Culture Summerside
a call at 902-432-1298.” One volunteer job that was no problem to fill was assisting the event chef, Robert Pendergast. Those volunteers are hoping to pick up a few pointers in the kitchen.
People attending the carnival will have a smiling face welcoming them at the entrance tent to give them a program and directions. It will be the same at the
entertainment tent.
Ellis concludes, “It is pretty exciting to have a strong core group of volunteers working with us on the carnival. I can’t thank them enough. Culture Summerside is constantly seeking volunteers for all of its programming throughout the year. Anyone that has an interest in getting involved, we would love to make your acquaintance.”