Paul's Dirty Enduro is a volunteer-run event. Folks donate their time ~ and through sheer force of will, with a good dose of luck and quick thinking the volunteers ar what MAKE Paul's happen every year.
Volunteers receive T-shirts, food, a lovely day in the forest and the satisfaction that they've been part of a very cool thing. Ontario High School Students can use volunteer hours at Paul's as part of their Community Service Hours as well. Volunteers come to us in lots of different ways: some knew Paul, some just wanna ride and not pay, some are long term, committed team members who know their jobs off by heart. Some folks just show up in the morning and say "what can I do". And we try to put every single one of them to work!
The photos below in no way represent the bulk of the volunteer crew that puts Paul's together every year. The Kitchen Team, Mark Graham and Joni White at registration, all the folks at the CMHA, not to mention the tons of folks who come out on event day and work the feedzones, the kids race, and just generally help out. Our unending thanks to all the volunteers! With special mentions for 2010 to Larry Hampson, Sean Benvie, Adam Fleming, Mark Linford, Kevin Thompson and Gene Day, Doug Barlow and all the folks listed below ...thanks again folks!
| Volunteer-nation 2010 (in order of appearance) RIck WIlling Zac Wheeler Mark Linford Adam Fleming Larry Hampson Pam Wilson Derek Kaye Erynn Ahern Ali Preece Sarah Hermann Sue Pott kt misener Gail Sargent Kris Walsh Sean Benvie Kevin Thompson Gene Day Kevin Woods Maureen Donald Alex Hutchinson Shane Wilson Jacob Govan Ed Wilson Derek Kaye Jeremy Kaye Emily Linney Melissa Oldfield Richard Oldfield Cameron Buster Andrew Vangennip Mitchell VanSchyndel Joni White Mark Graham Brian Hedney Steve Wallace Ron Kidd Rachel Allison Dawn Proskin Stephanie Hempstead Arlene Winick Marty Winick Kim Johnson Ryan Luscombe Sarah Hartford JIllian Thompson Bert Carreau Barry Montgomery Debbie Hampson Sam Nugent Monique Coll Serena Hubbs Chantel Woodcock Robert Humewood Robert Cox Berek Cox Matt Stiff Dean MacCrose George Hussey Ron Fox ...and more unnamed for sure! If we left you off the list please let use know! NSARC operators |
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The volunteers that everyone sees the most are the registration team (apart from the actual feedzone personnel). It's a tough job, pretty stressful in the morning rush of registration .. but they keep their heads and get everyone out there with a number plate and a bag of goodies. (well, mostly everyone!) |
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The CMHA brings so many vounteers to Paul's each year! You meet them at the CMHA booth in the registration hall, directing traffic and selling tshirts. But their largest contribution is the creating and serving of LUNCH on event day! There are volunteers in the kitchen from 5am in the morning until 7pm in the evening. They prep the food (mostly from scratch!), feed the masses with big smiles, and clean up the kitchen when they're finshed. They also do pre-event promotions, mailings, photocopying and so many untold amazing things. Thanks to the CMHA and all their help Paul's gets better every year! |
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And then there's the whole crew that makes things happen on event day. Pictured here just a few of the behind the scenes movers and shakers. On the left are Jo-anne Barlow, Doug Barlow and Ed Wilson and Maureen Donald and kt. These folks undertake the huge task of feedzone management. They co-ordinate the trucks that move the folks and the food. They make sure there's enough water when you get to E dying of thirst at 4pm. They have a huge number of volunteers that they keep track of during the day and they make sure they all get back safe as well. They ensure the feedzones are set up, run smoothly and torn down and cleaned up ALL IN ONE DAY! They rock. |
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On the left: a snapshot of a moment at the command center for Paul's: the HQ of the events. Paul's runs like a well oiled machine because everyone in the web is working hard and having fun. The North Shore Amateur Radio Club keeps all the communications throughout the forest going and sweeps and race directors keep in touch with each other through them and an intricate web of cell phones and radios. Special thanks to Brian Hedney for his tireless efforts as Field Marshal. Once you're on the course, Brian and the "radio guys" know where you are and keep track of you until you get back! The folks at these tables have their work cut out for them until late in the evening. The last sweeps, radio personnel and riders don't arrive back at the GFC sometimes until 6PM. That's one heck of a 12 hour shift! |
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The Bloomfield Bicycle Club also has many volunteers who help in myriad ways from manning feedzones, folding t-shirts, designing tshirts, tracking down all the prizes, getting more toilet paper, sweeping huge portions of trail on event day, marking trails and building trails for months in advance, driving feedzone trucks, packing volunteer lunches, setting up the forest center for the event and the list just goes on and on. And one last special thank-you to all the folks who come out on event day to volunteer. You folks make the day easy ... and riders can't thank you enough for being there for them out there in the woods |
Check out ALL the photos in of the fine lookin' batch of volunteers that we had this year, here.
And contact us here if you're interested in getting involved next year. |
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