Bittersweet weekend for Bluesfest volunteers
Posted Jul 12, 2013 05:29:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – It’s a bittersweet weekend for about 3,000 volunteers, as the end of RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest plays out.
Every night an army of volunteers works tirelessly at the beer tents and behind-the-scenes to ensure the festival runs smoothly.
“Our volunteers range everywhere from pouring beer, to keeping our site green, to taking care of our corporate suite guests,” says Anna Wood, who supervises the whole group. “I think more than anything they’re the face of the festival.”
Wood says one of the hardest-working crews is the “green team” which rushes in after the concerts, to pick up the mess left by concert attendees.
“They clear all the compostable beer cups and they clean the field and just work like this army of amazing-ness, making sure the site is clean for the next day,” she says.
Karima Hersi began volunteering at Bluesfest when she was 16, and says she comes back each year because it’s so much fun.
“Its like summer camp,” says Hersi. “I met a lot of good friends here.”
Bluesfest volunteers enjoy a number of perks including free access to the festival, as well as a free meal the day they volunteer.
But Judy Wood, who has been volunteering for five years, says she doesn’t sign up for the music.
“It’s not really the concerts so much as just getting to know the people,” she says. “The whole volunteer experience is what I really enjoy.”
