Volunteers Needed for Kent Heritage Fest

Volunteers are always needed to help before, during and after the Kent Heritage Festival this Saturday, the all-day event that brings "in the neighborhood of 25,000 people to downtown Kent," Lori M. Wemhoff, executive director of Kent Area Chamber of Commerce, said.

Wemhoff explained that while Kent United Services Organization (KUSO) member organizations take care of all of the advance preparations, KUSO members typically have their own booths to staff throughout the day.

KUSO members include Kent Lions, Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, Jaycees and Rotary among others, and many have volunteer opportunities available for members of the community.

Some of those opportunities include booth set-up before the event and tear-down and dismantling of booths in the early evening. Others volunteer options include handling food and concession sales.

And some opportunities are a little out of the ordinary. Geri Strange, president of the Rough Riders All Sports Boosters, said, "We are looking for athletics players or coaches that are willing to be dunked," in the boosters' dunking booth.

Not all Rough Riders All Sports Boosters volunteers will get wet, Strange said. The Boosters are also looking for people to help work at the booth explaining what the boosters do for Kent athletes.

The Kent Lions are looking for volunteers to help in various capacities, including staffing the organization's popular pizza booth.

Main Street Kent also is seeking volunteers for shifts throughout the day to help staff information booths, sell raffle tickets and tickets for train rides, and to help with set-up and tear-down. Help is needed from 7 a.m. until the work is done, usually around midnight. Shifts typically last two to three hours, but certain volunteer activities – set-up, for example – may require less time.

For more information about volunteer opportunities related to Kent's Heritage Festival, contact any of the organizations below, or call the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce at 330-673-9855.

• Kent Lions: Lela Irving, 330-673-5740
• Rough Riders All Sports Boosters: Laura Kenney, lkenney@neo.rr.com
• Main Street Kent: Mary Gilbert, mary@mainstreetkent.org