Three cheers for Fourth of July volunteers
By Sauk Valley Newspapers - What We Think - letters@svnmail.com
As the region pauses to celebrate the nation’s 233rd birthday Saturday with festivities large and small, let’s not forget who makes these special events possible: volunteers.
The volunteer organizers and workers, who give up part of their holiday to make good things happen for festival goers, deserve a lot of credit.
Look at Saturday’s Fourth of July schedule across the Sauk Valley. It’s easy to see that it will take an army of volunteers to keep everything functioning efficiently.
At the Dixon Petunia Festival, volunteers will make sure the pancake breakfast, tennis tournament, Reagan 5K run, Kids Day and bingo tent run smoothly. Volunteers also will be present at the beanbag tournament, Taste Trail, Children’s Water Challenge, musical at Dixon Historic Theatre and rib fest.
In Prophetstown, you’ll see volunteers running the dunk tank, kids games, food venue, three-on-three basketball tourney, horseshoe tournament, and the canoe race from Lyndon to Prophetstown.
Mount Morris depends on volunteers to help with its Let Freedom Ring festival, from the patriotic program and Civil War encampment to the pancake breakfast at the Ogle County Airport.
Near Franklin Grove, volunteers will put on a special celebration at Chaplin Creek Village with a reading of the Declaration of Independence. After the program, people can view the historic buildings and enjoy refreshments served by more volunteers.
Volunteers in Mount Carroll will cook pork chops at the fire station, participate in a parade, play in a band concert and serve refreshments.
In Shannon, volunteers will serve the pork chop sandwich supper and ice cream social.
Volunteers in Walnut will ride herd on everything from a 5K run, pancake and sausage breakfast, car and antique tractor shows and softball tournament to a parade, soap box derby, greased pig chase and a food stand.
And all those fireworks don’t launch themselves. Volunteers will make the colorful exhibitions go smoothly.
What if the fireworks crews, festival organizers, coordinators and workers weren’t willing to donate their time and talent to make the Fourth of July special?
Perish the thought.
Three cheers for the Fourth of July volunteers. We commend them for all they do.
