PHOTOS BY JENNIFER COLTON
[quote style=”2″]Lack of Volunteers Puts Local Events in Jeopardy[/quote]
The Festival of Lights. Umatilla Landing Days. The Stanfield 4th of July Celebration.
Three very different events in three different towns that all have one thing in common: volunteers. And without new volunteers, some local events will disappear.
“I sincerely appreciate people who work so hard to create this event called the Umatilla Landing Days,” Umatilla business owner Hasu Mistry said during a recent council meeting. “It’s fantastic. Thank you for everyone who has helped. I would like to see more.”
Umatilla City Councilman Lyle Smith, also a Landing Days volunteer, added to Misty’s comment.
“I think what we need, instead of more time from the people involved is more people involved,” he said.
Smith’s comment echoes concern of event organizers across Eastern Oregon. Although organizers dubbed this year’s Landing Days a resounding success, they already have some concerns about next year.
“Every year it’s a struggle to bring in new volunteers,” Umatilla City Manager Bob Ward said. “Last year it was a struggle, and this year it was a little more of a struggle, and I don’t see that problem going away. The volunteers we do have are becoming burned out, and future success is depended on attracting new volunteers.”
Another longtime event, Hermiston’s Festival of Lights, could remain dark this year for the same reason.
In 2011, the Umatilla County Fair Board announced it would no longer fund or operate the Festival of Lights, a free holiday event that welcomed community members to walk through hundreds of illuminated displays. Facing the end of a decade-long tradition, the community stepped up, donated funds and volunteer hours to make the event happen outside of the fairground’s operations.
After three years, the volunteer committee set up to organize it is now down to three, and those three volunteers can no longer manage all the preparation for the event. The event was canceled last year and this year’s event is up in the air.
“We just need to get a group that will take it over. There’s just too much for the three of us to do,” volunteer Spike Piersol said. “We’re willing to help, but we can’t put it on anymore. It’s too much.”
The committee members have a list of volunteers willing to help staff the gate and set up the displays, but the event still can’t happen without new management and a new venue. The event previously took place at the Umatilla County Fairgrounds.
“We want this to continue. We’ve got 501c3 . . . we just need someone to take it over, and that’s been a challenge,” Piersol said.
Back in Umatilla, Kathy Putnam is still organizing care of the flower boxes down Sixth Street more than a year after the Umatilla Kiwanis Club disbanded after facing low turnout and volunteer numbers. Putnam and her small set of lingering volunteers has already announced this is the last year they will take care of planting and tending the flower boxes.
“This is going to be our last season,” Putnam said. “A few volunteers have been doing it for years, and we’re getting spread thin with so many other things going on. We’re just hoping someone else would like to do it for a while.”
More Stories from Northeast Oregon Now:
The Inside Scoop on the Transient Room Tax
Council OKs contracts for Police, New City Manager
