On Saturday morning, I woke up and left my apartment bright and early, around 3am. \u00c2\u00a0There was a huge grass parking lot set up for race day volunteers at the WWoS. \u00c2\u00a0I checked in at the volunteer tent, and picked up a snack bag (granola, fruit, and the like), and a volunteer jacket. \u00c2\u00a0I then boarded the bus assigned to me on my volunteer credential. \u00c2\u00a0Around 4:15am, we took off for our assigned position, near the Grand Floridian. \u00c2\u00a0It was a short walk from where the bus parked to our actual water stop location. \u00c2\u00a0There were shrinkwrapped pallets in a pile, containing about 40 tables, mountains of bottled water, 10gallon jugs, paddles (to serve as mixing spoons), powdered powerade, etc. \u00c2\u00a0It was very dark, with only a single street light available to us, so many of us were using our phones to make sure we didn’t trip and fall as we set up the tables along the stop. \u00c2\u00a0Also, at this point the road had not actually yet been closed, so we also needed to dodge traffic.<\/div>\n
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As I said earlier, I was assigned to the powerade half of the stop. \u00c2\u00a0The Team Leader asked me to be one of the mixers. \u00c2\u00a0We had four tables set back from the road for mixing (two on each side of the street), and about 16 set up for distributing (8 on each side of the street). \u00c2\u00a0Myself and another volunteer got to work pouring the liter bottles of water into the 10gallon jugs, adding the powdered powerade, and mixing. \u00c2\u00a0Each mixing table had 3 of these 10gallon jugs. \u00c2\u00a0As soon as we were able to get a jug of powerade ready, we started pouring it back into the now-empty water bottles and some provided pitchers, which the distributing volunteers then used to fill up as many cups on their tables as they could, generally stacking them 3 or four high. \u00c2\u00a0I should point out that sanitation and cleanliness was very important – all volunteer were wearing medical gloves, the paddles used for mixing had been sanitized and were shrinkwrapped, and were not allowed to be placed on the tables at any time after they were unwrapped, even the white pieces of cardboard used to separate layers of cups on the distribution tables had to be wiped down with sanitizer before they could be used.<\/div>\n
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About an hour after we arrived, we saw the first wheelchair participant go by us. \u00c2\u00a0We were honestly not yet really ready for the race, but he only wanted water so it wasn’t a problem. \u00c2\u00a0We kept mixing and pouring as fast as we could, and from that point on, it was just a constant stream of trying to get powerade mixed, poured, and served as quickly as possible. \u00c2\u00a0I estimate that my one little table (again, out of four at the stop, which was one of about 10 stops) made about 120 gallons of powerade that morning. By the time we got to the folks who were mostly walking the race, we slowed down production of the powerade, and I adjusted my role to be that of middle man between the mixing table and the distribution tables, carrying bottles and pitchers of powerade to the tables that had depleted their cups. \u00c2\u00a0By the time we got to the folks who were only walking, I adjusted again to be one of the people handing out powerade on the street. \u00c2\u00a0The number of runners and walkers who, while huffing and puffing, thanked us for volunteering was just incredible. \u00c2\u00a0It 100% made the entire experience worthwhile. \u00c2\u00a0I did my best to call out words of encouragement to everyone, using their names as listed on their bibs. \u00c2\u00a0I called out “Go Team!” to everyone with a purple Team in Training shirt, I shouted out to all the Team AllEars and WDWRadio Running Team members I saw, it was just fantastic.<\/div>\n
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When the last walker passed our position (being followed by the security\u00c2\u00a0personnel\u00c2\u00a0on their bikes), we started cleaning up our position. \u00c2\u00a0A small army of Disney workers followed her – raking all the discarded cups up to the street, sweeping the street, re-palletizing the left over water, picking up all the trash we’d bagged, etc. \u00c2\u00a0The only thing we had left to do was return the tables to their original piles. \u00c2\u00a0About 10-15 minutes after that last walker passed us, you’d never have known we were there at all.<\/div>\n
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We then walked back to our bus. \u00c2\u00a0Because of the road closures still in effect, it took a good 40 minutes to get from there back to the WWoS. \u00c2\u00a0Once we did arrive, we checked out, and I learned that we were to be compensated for this volunteer experience with a complimentary 1-day base theme park ticket. \u00c2\u00a0I had not previously been aware that we were going to be given anything for volunteering, but it was a nice discovery to be sure!<\/div>\n
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Would I do this again? \u00c2\u00a0In a heart beat. \u00c2\u00a0I am registered for the Princess Half Marathon and the Expedition Everest challenge later this year, but as soon as there is an event open that I’m not actually participating in, you can be sure I’m going to volunteer for it. \u00c2\u00a0It was a very rewarding experience, knowing that you were helping some 26,000 runners complete a remarkable achievement. \u00c2\u00a0And the looks of gratitude on their faces was better than anything I could describe. \u00c2\u00a0I saw everyone from teenagers, to disabled runners (one woman actually running with a orthopedic boot!) to senior citizens, all trying to accomplish the same goal. \u00c2\u00a0That I could help them in that goal, even in a tiny way? \u00c2\u00a0Outstanding.<\/div>\n
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As for what I would say to someone considering volunteering? \u00c2\u00a0“Do it”. \u00c2\u00a0Yes, the hours are early, yes, the pacing got to be a little stressful. \u00c2\u00a0But the rewards were worth it. \u00c2\u00a0I was surrounded by like-minded people all wanting to do their part, and we were all very appreciated. \u00c2\u00a0It’s worth it.<\/div>\n