Family Fest: Powered By Volunteers 
by Barb Quaintance
Family Fest doesn’t happen by accident. Dozens of Misericordia staff work year-round to produce the event. But they don’t act alone. Literally hundreds of volunteers work on the day of the Fest, as well as beforehand, setting it up and then taking it all down. And a big thanks goes to Paul Schwartz and many others for pulling together the volunteer person-power!
Want to learn more about Family Fest volunteers?
- How many volunteers are there on the day of Fest? There were over 1200 volunteers that day. Many more helped with set up in the days leading up to Fest, and volunteers also helped pull down the tents and do the necessary cleanup.
- How many total hours do Fest volunteers put in? On the day of Fest, volunteers put in at least 2100 hours.
- How many different volunteer roles/opportunities are there? Sixty-five individual areas are staffed entirely by volunteers. They include running the information booth, all of the food areas, admission gates, in-crowd entertainment, and selling raffle tickets. There are many other crucial volunteer roles in the days leading up to the fest, too: supporting the kitchen, bakery and the physical planning crew that sets up all of the tables, chairs, banners, stage and archways. After Fest, volunteers support cleaning and resetting the campus.
- How old are the youngest volunteers? The oldest? The youngest ‘official’ volunteers are 13, although many younger kids participate in the family booth or area. And the oldest volunteer is 90! He hand paints many of the boards that are hung around campus.
- Do the residents volunteer at Fest? Yes! This year, residents helped with recycling and garbage detail and a few residents were recruited to pull raffle winners. Of course, dozens of residents performed on the main stage! Many Shannon, CILA and Village residents helped the day after Fest, too.
- What’s the most popular Fest volunteer role? The Fest activity that requires the most support is the Children’s Games area for kids, 11 and under. Throughout the day, 150 people helped children play games, organized lines and distributed prizes.
- Could Misericordia put on Fest without volunteers? No! The Family Fest wouldn’t be possible without volunteer support. It’s estimated that the value of all of those volunteer hours is more than $35,000.
Volunteering is a year-round necessity for Misericordia to accomplish all the important work that it does. Helping out is not only a part of each family’s commitment to Misericordia, but it’s a great way to meet other families and have fun, too! Click here to see how and when you can best join the volunteer force!!
Send yours to
