Date: Tuesday June 20, 2023
Subject: Afton Trail Run Volunteer Email 2 2023
Hi All,
First and foremost, a huge thank you for volunteering for the 30th Annual Afton Trail Run on Saturday July 1, 2023. We are very fortunate to have around 140 volunteers helping at this year’s race. We could not put on such a great event without your help! The 25K sold out on June 13 and there are just a few spots left in the 50K – currently we have 967 registered runners representing 3 countries, 28 states and 199 Minnesota cities.
This is Volunteer Email 2 – if you did not see Volunteer Email 1 you did not miss anything, this was just a recruitment email. Lots of info here, but it is all important stuff, please take the time to read it in its entirety – thank you!
Volunteer Assignments:
Volunteer Assignments have been made and are available HERE https://www.aftontrailrun.com/volunteer-assignments/ As always, I do my best to review and integrate the information you provide in the ‘notes’ section of the volunteer signup form – that said I have been known to make a couple of mistakes and take a few liberties along the way. If you see anything that does not work for you, please let me know and we can easily adjust. Please keep in mind that you may have been assigned more than one job or shift, so please search both by name and job (you can type your name into the search box or you can sort the table by clicking any of the column headers.) There could be a few minor tweaks between now and race day, so please be sure to check the list again the week of the race.
Additional Volunteer Needs:
Please let us know if you can or would like to help with any of the following.
• Cleanup at our home in Hastings on Sunday July 2 between 9AM and 3PM.
• Aid stations are very well staffed – if you are assigned an aid station and are a photographer and would like to shoot photos, please let me know.
• Final cleanup / loud out at the end of the day at the start / finish area on Saturday between 4PM and 6PM
Volunteer Jobs:
There have been times in the past where I have provided a bunch of detailed information about specific volunteer assignments within this final volunteer email but am no longer doing that. Instead I am relying on the ‘Volunteer Jobs’ section of the website. It is VERY IMPORTANT that after looking up your volunteer assignments, that you visit the ‘Volunteer Jobs’ section to review all of the specifics regarding the job(s) you have been assigned to https://www.aftontrailrun.com/volunteer-jobs/ – Parking volunteers, please note that more specific assignments for you are available via a link under the ‘Parking’ section.
Medical:
Our direction to our volunteers with medical training, who are acting as good samaritans, is that they can go ahead and help with anything that is very minor (bumps and bruise kind of stuff) while anything that they are not comfortable addressing and certainly anything major will be called in to local emergency services by our HAM / Amateur Radio Operators. We will have standby ambulance coverage at the finish throughout the event, who can respond quickly to incidents at the finish or on the course.
Name Badges:
There will be name badges available for volunteers. These allow runners to be able to easily identify volunteers and allows volunteers to be able to easily identify each other. Similarly, runners’ names will be printed on their race numbers.
Breakout Emails:
For most of you this is the final email you will see from me. I will be sending a few breakout emails to the following groups by the end of this coming weekend. HAM / communications, Course Marking, Aid Station Captains, Parking Leads, AHJs – I will be giving aid station captains the email addresses of those volunteers at each aid station, they may or may not also reach out to you in advance of the race.
Review the Website:
Please take the time to review the Afton website in its entirety prior to race day https://www.aftontrailrun.com/ There are specific links / resources for volunteers in addition to the general race information for runners. Reviewing and knowing this information prior to race day will make you, the volunteers, the best resource possible for the runners, their crew, family and spectators as well as your fellow volunteers.
Camping:
If you need somewhere to stay Friday night or Saturday night we have Group Camp 1 reserved. Drop me a note if you would like to stay there.
Beanies:
We are doing beanies this year https://www.aftontrailrun.com/2023-race-beanie/ If you are volunteering at an aid station, hats will have been sent out in the supply bins. Aid station captains will be getting these out to you, or better yet will delegate the task of getting them out. If you could, please make sure you get yours so we do not have to mail it. If you are working a volunteer position other than an aid station, you will pick up your hat at the check-in, start, finish area at the same location where we sell merchandise – please seek yours out there (read; go up to the merch table and say “I am a volunteer and would like my beanie, thank you”.)
Food, and After your Shift:
You are welcome to graze on aid station food during your shift but also feel free to pack a lunch if you think you will need more. After your aid station closes, please join us at the finish for homemade pizza and beverages. Aid Station 5 volunteers, we will deliver pizza to you since your aid station goes so late in the day.
As always, should you have any questions please contact me. We are looking forward to seeing everyone for another safe, fun and successful race!
Thank You,
John Storkamp
Race Director
racedirector@aftontrailrun.com