Westfest Volunteers - Ottawa

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The following email ended up in my inbox somehow. It's probably worth checking out.

Hello and Welcome to another great year of WESTFEST!

My name is Naomi Ireland, and as the WESTFEST Volunteer Coordinator I would like to thank you all for your interest and support in WESTFEST. I personally am excited to participate in this year's event, working with all of you and taking in all the incredible programming.

We are now confirming Volunteers for this year's festival in Ottawa, scheduled for Friday June 8 to Sunday June 10, 2007. To that end, the volunteer organizing meeting is scheduled as follows, where you will have the chance to meet me, the rest of the WESTFEST staff, and each other:

The Volunteer meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at 7 pm at

Moe's World Famous Newport Restaurant

334 Richmond Rd at Churchill

http://www.newportrestaurant.com

We will be providing beverages and pizza for all who attend. Please RSVP to let me know if you will or will not be attending this meeting, so that I can ensure there are enough seats for all. The volunteer job descriptions are currently being finalized and put into a Volunteer Booklet, but I've provided draft descriptions below - feel free to review them prior to the meeting where we'll go into more detail, and you will be given the opportunity to let us know your interests and availability.

I look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your generous offer of support for this community festival.

Naomi Ireland, Volunteer Coordinator

neyerca@sympatico.ca

WESTFEST: WESTBORO VILLAGE'S FESTIVAL OF MUSIC, ART & LIFE

JUNE 8 TO 10, 2007

WESTFEST IS FREE!

www.westfest.ca

Friday Night Setup from 4 pm

# of Volunteers required – the more the merrier!

Setup banners, artist area, tents, etc. Paid staff will setup stage and security barriers.

Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 11 pm

Information Booth / Volunteer Central

# of Volunteers required: 2 per 4-hour shift plus 1 Floater assigned for backup

Will be located near (but not TOO near) the WESTFEST stage, on the corner of Richmond Rd and Golden Ave. Primary responsibility is to provide programs to and answer questions from festival goers. Should have 2 volunteers at the booth at all times, with a Floater available nearby for backup purposes.

Secondary responsibility (after customers have been served) is to manage the volunteer schedule and perform sign in and sign out for all volunteers. Meal tickets will be provided to volunteers at the Info Booth at the end of your shift or after 4 hours. Fundraising cans will be numbered and stored at the Info Booth table for Floaters to sign-out. Please note: festival customer responsibilities will take priority over volunteer responsibilities, and a Floater or a Volunteer Coordinator can called in to assist if the Info Booth busy with customers or during a shift change.

Floater & Fundraising

# of Volunteers required: we would like at least 4 per 4-hour shift

Folks who are on hand for odd jobs, such as helping a caterer bring in food to a tent or providing a break to someone at a post.

When there are no odd jobs available, fundraising cans, pins, schedules and surveys should be picked up from the Info Booth to walk the streets giving out pins and completing surveys in exchange for donations to WESTFEST. The purpose of the pins is so that you don’t hit up the same person more than once.

When available, floaters will be assigned in pairs to station the key intersections, to offer schedules to anyone entering the festival site, and to provide our thanks to anyone leaving.

These volunteers will also keep an eye on the site. If there are any site issues that arise that require assistance, please contact a Volunteer Coordinator. For any security or customer safety issues that arise, please do not attempt to handle yourself but find Site Security for assistance.

Backstage Area Volunteers

# of Volunteers required: 2 per 6-hour shift plus 1 Floater assigned for backup. Note: the early shift will start before 10 am and will be longer than for the other positions

We need a small number of volunteers in the backstage and VIP areas that will assist with their arrival and departure, parking, carrying their equipment, and generally ensuring the artists are happy and well taken care of. There are a limited number of shifts for this position, so please sign up if you are interested, and the Volunteer Coordinator will follow-up with you on shifts and availability.

Beverage Ticket Sales

Merchandise Table

Site Security

Sound and Stage Staff

Logistics

These responsibilities will be handled by paid staff. No volunteers will be required.

Sunday Night Tear down from 11 pm

# of Volunteers required – the more the merrier!

Tear down and roll up banners, dismantle the artist area, take apart canopies, clear out tents, fold tables and chairs, etc. Paid staff will tear down stage and security barriers. To encourage the late night help for anyone still standing at the end of the festivities, at the en