Mayor Nolan Crouse will proclaim National Volunteer Week at the beginning of Monday's city council meeting to celebrate the volunteer commitment of St. Albertans who rose to the challenge of helping out in a year with so much happening.
From the first of the 150th anniversary celebrations in January 2011 through this year's Special Olympics Canada Winter Games, volunteers were in high demand, but Pat Phelan, director, volunteer centre services at the Community Information and Volunteer Centre (CIVC), said there was never a shortage of bodies.
"It was just many, many volunteers," Phelan said. "It went right from one end of the year to the other. They just kept stepping up."
It was a dizzying year for St. Albert that saw the 150th celebrations, the Continental Cup of Curling, the Alberta 55 plus Games and the Esso Cup interspersed with traditional city events such as Canada Day and the 10-Mile Road Race. But Phelan said there was never a sense of "fatigue" among volunteers.
"The opposite was true," Phelan said. "There was concern it was ending. I remember one event when we were closing up and moving equipment out and it was dark and cold and one gentleman said to me, 'I'm very sad it's over. What else is coming up?' "
Crouse said he wasn't surprised that the people of St. Albert stepped up to volunteer — he expected them to, even with many more events in 2011 than in the typical calendar year.
"My experience, and really with people in general, when they are asked to step up to help with something, I've always experienced a positive response and St. Albert is probably as good as you can find," Crouse said.
The community also benefitted in that new volunteers emerged along with the "familiar faces," as Phelan calls the community's regular volunteers.
"There was something appealing to everyone. People get involved because they are asked and if it's a cause that's near and dear to their hearts," Phelan said. "In some cases we had people calling from surrounding communities. I can think of one man I met at every single event."
Celebration
To celebrate what was a banner year for the city's volunteers, CIVC will be hosting a volunteer lunch on Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at St. Albert Alliance Church. Unlike in previous years where the volunteer organizations were contacted, this year anyone who volunteered anywhere for any reason can get a hot buffet lunch, prizes and entertainment for $15.
"The biggest sin a volunteer makes is they do it because they love it. They do not want to be recognized," Phelan said.
And on Saturday May 5, the Volunteer Citizen of the Year will be announced at a brunch at the St. Albert Alliance Church. The Leaders of Tomorrow will also be recognized.
Volunteers can also log their hours for Volunteers Count, an attempt to capture a snapshot of measuring volunteerism in Alberta. People who log their volunteer hours can be entered to win prizes that will be donated to the non-profit organization of their choice.
For more information on National Volunteer Week, visit www. stalbertcivc.com/volunteer-week. To log your hours for Volunteers Count, go to volunteeralberta.ab.ca/volunteerscount.
