BIKEFEST 2008 13th Annual Rural Heritage Tour  August 09, 2008

Call for Volunteers --- It's about that time of year to start thinking about BikeFest again.  Last year we got a lot of really good suggestions on how we could make BikeFest better but the only way we can make this happen is with more volunteers. The ride HQ location again will be at the Orange County Visitor's center, which is across the street from the courthouse. We’ve written up a fairly detailed list of requirements for volunteer positions.  As you read descriptions of these positions, keep in mind that you'll be provided with all of the information you'll need based on what you offer to do (e.g. rest stop leaders will get info about their stop, sags and sweeps will get route maps and med kits and so on). So there's far more information that's available, it just isn't necessary to list it all here at the moment. Some of these jobs will require more time than others.   When you decide to get involved, please email us directly at mailto:info@tarwheels.org?subject=BikeFest Volunteer, with the following information: ·         full name ·         position you're volunteering for ·         contact info:  phone number and email address ·         cell phone number (if you either have one or can get one the day of BikeFest) ·         type vehicle you can have the day of BikeFest, in case your position or the people you end up working with will need a vehicle (that is, whether it's a car, pickup truck, SUV or whatever) We’ll be keeping the master list of all volunteer info, so make sure you send us as much of this information as you can. General rules for volunteering Coordinators and team captains While BikeFest requires dozens of volunteers, some of these positions are designated as coordinators or team captains, who will be responsible for managing a group of people. In some cases, such a group will need a vehicle and/or cell phone at their location. This doesn't mean that the coordinator or team captain has to personally supply it -- just that he or she is responsible for making sure that someone brings one the day of the ride. Coordinators and team captains are pretty critical positions, and there is some turnover every year. So if you were just one of a group helping out last year, please consider stepping up and offering to be a coordinator or captain this year..  Shifts You'll notice, as you read, that there are a number of positions that have more than one shift -- info table at HQ, sags, and so on. While we’re asking folks to volunteer for only one shift of any position, we’ll never turn down anyone who wants to volunteer for more than one. For a few positions (mostly involving driving a vehicle, such as sags and road markings), there will be a reimbursement to help cover the cost of gas and the use of your vehicle. In addition, regardless of what you do, if you have to pay out of pocket for supplies of any kind, keep the receipts and we'll reimburse you. We'd prefer that you hang on to those receipts until after BikeFest so we can deal with them all at once, but if something was a major expense, just let us know and we'll take care of it ASAP. Volunteering and riding While some volunteer jobs can be done entirely before BikeFest, most of them require you to work the day of the ride. In some cases, it might be possible to both do your job, and ride as well -- for example, you might do the 35-mile route, then work an afternoon shift back at HQ. Just keep in mind that, if there's a conflict, your volunteer position has to take priority. Post-mortem Finally, we’d appreciate it if all volunteers kept notes of what worked well and what didn't, and emailed us a post-mortem report so we can improve anything that needs improving for next year.   PRE-RIDE JOBS Friday Pre-ride Packet pick-up We'll need a couple of people to work at one of the local bike shops for 3-4 hours Friday afternoon to help distribute the ride packets for those who want to pick it up the day before the ride. Friday night distribution party The Friday evening before BikeFest is when a crowd of us will get together at the Rec. Center in Hillsborough to unload and allocate supplies in preparation for the next morning. At this time the Food Coordinators will distribute supplies and food, so the rest stop coordinator and team captains should try to be there since that's a good time to hash out any unresolved issues.  Last year, the group started around 5:00pm and finished around 7:30 or 8:00pm.  Some of us went to Tupelo’s for dinner afterward.  We try to make this fun! SATURDAY AT BIKEFEST Headquarters (HQ) "HQ" identifies pretty much everything that goes on from early Saturday morning until close at the Orange County Visitors Center, including on-site packet pick up, tent setup, breakfast, info table, and lots more. And there's lots for you to do if you have the time. Early transportation We'll need at least one driver and vehicle (truck/SUV) to move stuff from the Rec. Center to HQ early Saturday morning (5:00am), like the tents, tables and so on. Ideally, this might be someone who is already volunteering who would have been there anyway. Parking Starting about 6:00 a.m., we'll need a parking coordinator and at least half a dozen people to direct arrivals into the appropriate parking lots. Given that most people are already there by the time the first ride starts, at least a few of the parking helpers should be able to also ride.   On-site Packet Pick Up Here, we'll need at least 2 people to handle on-site packet pick-up, starting at 6:00 a.m.   Information table We’d like two people each for three shifts at the information table, whose jobs it will be to provide information to the participants, and sell current and last year's shirts (if there are any left), among other things. The shifts will be: 6:30 am - 9:00 am 9:00 am - 1 pm 1 pm - 4 pm Notice that, if you volunteer for the afternoon shift, this will still give you time to ride the 35-mile route if you're a normal rider, or the 62-mile route if you're really fast. Cleanup As the last riders are finishing, we'll need a few people to tear everything down and return much of it to the Rec. Center. This typically happens close to 5 pm or thereabouts. Food to shelters The last part of the cleanup process involves dividing the leftover food and taking it to the two homeless shelters--one in Durham and the other in Chapel Hill.   Rest stops This section describes all of the positions we need to run the rest stops, both out on the course and back at HQ. Rest Stop Coordinator, Captains and Teams The rest stop coordinator’s job involves finding enough volunteers to staff all the rest stops and being the liaison to the churches as well as the rest stop captains.   Usually there are a couple of groups that have taken charge of some of the rest-stops, the MS Society, the Rails to Trails Group and Habitat for Humanity. Maybe the competition will heat up? Themes? Tentatively, the rest stop locations will be the same last year. In addition to the overall coordinator, we'll need Captains and teams at the following rest stops: *Breakfast: HQ Orange County visitor center We’ll need a couple of folks to set up breakfast (bagels, bananas and what not) at HQ early (5:30 a.m. Sharp! still dark out). This will involve just laying out the food, getting some knives and bagel slicers, and filling up a water jug, and that's about it.  Taking care of breakfast typically doesn't take long, and whoever takes care of this is generally free to ride as soon as the food is laid out. We will also need 2 other shifts at HQ   Shift times: 5:30–9:00 9:00-1:00 1:00-4:00   *Rest stop: Efland Cedar Grove UMC A captain, plus 5 other folks, a truck/SUV to get supplies from the Rec. Center, and a cell phone are needed. In addition, whoever sets up rest stop 1 can also put up a couple of signs to make it clear which way people should be leaving. *Rest stop: Bethel Hickory Church A captain, plus 2 other folks, a truck/SUV to get supplies from the Rec. Center, and a cell phone are needed. This is rest stop # 2 for the 100 mile loop only . This would require only 1 shift.   *Rest stop: Leasburg United Methodist Church  This is a midway point for the 100-mile ride and needs only 1 shift with 3  people.   *Rest stop: Walnut Grove Church Since this stop is shared by the 100 mile (4th stop) and the 2nd stop for the 35 and 62, two shifts would work best here. A captain, plus 3 other folks, a truck/SUV to get supplies from the Rec. Center, and a cell phone are needed.   *Rest stop: New Sharon Chruch Rd This stop will be a water only stop for all 3 routes. Two shifts would work best here. A captain, plus 3 other folks, a truck/SUV to get supplies from the Rec. Center, and a cell phone are needed.   Shift times: 9:00 –12:00 12:00-4:00   Cookie support personnel Every year, the biggest compliments we get for BikeFest are for the variety of home-baked goodies, so if you don't have time to help the day of the ride, you can offer to bake cookies or shortbreads, and we’ll get you all the information you need as to how and when to deliver them.  T   Ride support Sweeps We'll need a few riders to act as sweeps for all of the rides, from the 35-mile ride all the way up to the century. Ideally, all sweeps should have cell phones as well. If  you plan on sweeping the ride, please do not sign up to ride. Sags and mechanical support Finally, we'll need a few sag drivers to patrol the course. These folks should have at least some maintenance equipment, as well as cell phones, med kits and extra water. You'll be supplied with everything you need, but we’d ask that you bring your own cell phone.   Fun ride Captain and team In addition to all of the above "regular" BikeFest rides, we’d like to have a family-oriented historical fun ride that's somewhere in the vicinity of 8 miles and winds around through Hillsborough. In the past years, this ride has had ice cream, lemonade and otther treats for the kids. We have cue sheets, so if you'd like to lead this, have any fun ideas, we’re definitely looking for someone to make this happen. Last updated:  20  Feb 2008 14:21:24 GMT