Volunteer-Stadium

Construct, operate and then tear down the stadium – the heart of the Birkie.

The stadium is the center of the Birkie finish. Birkie finish line atmosphere, music, food service, warm up areas, timing, and other facilities come together here. It is interesting to see how the stadium and finish line for the big event comes together!

1. Who is In Charge?
2. Context For All Roles
3. Volunteers Needed
4. Return to Loppet or All Volunteer Opportunities.

Who is In Charge?

Context For All Roles

Safety Considerations:

• Volunteers need to be prepared to work outdoors. Conditions may be very cold. The volunteers must supply their own appropriate warm clothing, especially hats, gloves and warm boots.
• Steel toed boots are desired, but not mandatory.
• Traction aid devices may be desired, as the area can be icy.
• The Birkie provides coffee, water, lunches and snacks. A shelter with a warm stove is supplied.
• The Birkie provides high-visibility vests.

Location: All activities are done in the parking lot and maintenance area at Waskahegen Staging Area. Volunteers must provide their own transportation to and from the Staging Area.

Training: Virtual/in-person briefing in January will be required. An in-person award organization meeting will be held closer to the Birkie. Attendance at the Volunteer Orientation the week of the Birkie is highly recommended. Awards Lead will provide mentorship and guidance.

Roles Needed

Role Specifics	Role Details
Role ID, Area and Title:	080-Stadium-Chief
Description	If the stadium is the heart of the Birkie then this Chief is the Heart Doctor! They manage all elements of what happens at the Waskehegan staging area. Central to this role is the site build and tear down afterwards. Liaison with Alberta Parks and other volunteer Chiefs. Plans the schedule of work and volunteer requirements. Develops a budget (e.g. rentals). Works with Loppet Chief for the approval of the plans/budgets. Coordinates work throughout the seasons. Planning for the Stadium, e.g. replacing worn equipment or accommodating new features.
Volunteer Requirements	Good planning and communication skills. Experiencing managing a crew of varied skills and experience. Eyes in the back of your head are desired but not required.
When Needed	Planning starts in the fall and then the Chief is onsite Birkie week. He/she is the first and last person to see the stadium.
Times Needed	Plan for 10-30 hours prior to the Birkie week over the fall and then long days during the Birkie week. Intermittent post-Birkie.
Number Needed	1

Role Specifics	Role Details
Role ID, Area and Title:	081-Stadium-Chef and Support Person
Description	If the stadium is the heart of the Birkie, the cook shelter is the heart of preparing the stadium. This support person will manage the picnic shelter at Waskahegan. To support the construction team, plan, shop, prepare and serve the food items. Lunches can be sandwiches prepared by a deli, something prepared on a portable stove, or on the wood stove. The volunteer lights the fire in the shelter in the morning and prepares coffee/ morning beverages. Through the day, the fire is monitored and kept lit. Other volunteers will pop in and out of the shelter to warm up.
Volunteer Requirements	A person experienced with meal planning, cooking, and a friendly, service orientated disposition. Familiarity with how to build, light, and sustain fires is desired. Knowledge of cooking equipment (Coleman stoves, etc.) is similarly desired. Willingness and enthusiasm to perform volunteer duties under somewhat rustic conditions.
When Needed	Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday of Birkie week. Sunday may not need lunches. This volunteer role gets Birkie-Saturday off to ski or cheer in the racers.
Times Needed	9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Number Needed	4 A single volunteer willing to work for 5 days

Role Specifics	Role Details
Role ID, Area and Title:	082-Stadium-Construction Hand-Wed
Description	Most of the gear for stadium is stored in the maintenance yard at Waskahegan. This must be loaded onto trucks, transported ½ km to the parking lot, and then set up. Items to be set-up include tents, ski racks, propane tanks and heaters, finish line poles and overhead banner, clothing change rooms, barricades, tables and chairs for inside the festival tent, some of the kitchen gear, fire pits, fire wood, and electrical wiring and circuit boxes. On Birkie day, there is last minute set-up, volunteers monitor for problem areas and fix them as necessary. For example, watch and spread gravel on icy spots. After the last skier has come in, clean-up activities begin. On the Sunday after the Birkie, all the gear must be dissembled and moved back to the long-term storage area in the maintenance yard.
Volunteer Requirements	Volunteers should be able to lift and move items that may be moderately heavy. Most items are not that heavy, but some heavier items include propane tanks or a bucket of gravel. Steel toed boots desired, but not mandatory. Warm work clothing, gloves, hat, and boots. Trucks and tools will be provided by the Birkie.
When Needed	Wednesday through Sunday of Birkie week.15 volunteers per day
Times Needed	9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. On Birkie Saturday, volunteers are needed until about 6:30 PM.
Number Needed	15

Role Specifics	Role Details
Role ID, Area and Title:	083-Stadium-Construction Hand-Thur
Description	Most of the gear for stadium is stored in the maintenance yard at Waskahegan. This must be loaded onto trucks, transported ½ km to the parking lot, and then set up. Items to be set-up include tents, ski racks, propane tanks and heaters, finish line poles and overhead banner, clothing change rooms, barricades, tables and chairs for inside the festival tent, some of the kitchen gear, fire pits, fire wood, and electrical wiring and circuit boxes. On Birkie day, there is last minute set-up, volunteers monitor for problem areas and fix them as necessary. For example, watch and spread gravel on icy spots. After the last skier has come in, clean-up activities begin. On the Sunday after the Birkie, all the gear must be dissembled and moved back to the long-term storage area in the maintenance yard.
Volunteer Requirements	Volunteers should be able to lift and move items that may be moderately heavy. Most items are not that heavy, but some heavier items include propane tanks or a bucket of gravel. Steel toed boots desired, but not mandatory. Warm work clothing, gloves, hat, and boots. Trucks and tools will be provided by the Birkie.
When Needed	Wednesday through Sunday of Birkie week.15 volunteers per day
Times Needed	9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. On Birkie Saturday, volunteers are needed until about 6:30 PM.
Number Needed	15

Role Specifics	Role Details
Role ID, Area and Title:	084-Stadium-Construction Hand-Fri
Description	Most of the gear for stadium is stored in the maintenance yard at Waskahegan. This must be loaded onto trucks, transported ½ km to the parking lot, and then set up. Items to be set-up include tents, ski racks, propane tanks and heaters, finish line poles and overhead banner, clothing change rooms, barricades, tables and chairs for inside the festival tent, some of the kitchen gear, fire pits, fire wood, and electrical wiring and circuit boxes. On Birkie day, there is last minute set-up, volunteers monitor for problem areas and fix them as necessary. For example, watch and spread gravel on icy spots. After the last skier has come in, clean-up activities begin. On the Sunday after the Birkie, all the gear must be dissembled and moved back to the long-term storage area in the maintenance yard.
Volunteer Requirements	Volunteers should be able to lift and move items that may be moderately heavy. Most items are not that heavy, but some heavier items include propane tanks or a bucket of gravel. Steel toed boots desired, but not mandatory. Warm work clothing, gloves, hat, and boots. Trucks and tools will be provided by the Birkie.
When Needed	Wednesday through Sunday of Birkie week.15 volunteers per day
Times Needed	9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. On Birkie Saturday, volunteers are needed until about 6:30 PM.
Number Needed	15

Role Specifics	Role Details
Role ID, Area and Title:	085-Stadium-Construction Hand-Sat
Description	Most of the gear for stadium is stored in the maintenance yard at Waskahegan. This must be loaded onto trucks, transported ½ km to the parking lot, and then set up. Items to be set-up include tents, ski racks, propane tanks and heaters, finish line poles and overhead banner, clothing change rooms, barricades, tables and chairs for inside the festival tent, some of the kitchen gear, fire pits, fire wood, and electrical wiring and circuit boxes. On Birkie day, there is last minute set-up, volunteers monitor for problem areas and fix them as necessary. For example, watch and spread gravel on icy spots. After the last skier has come in, clean-up activities begin. On the Sunday after the Birkie, all the gear must be dissembled and moved back to the long-term storage area in the maintenance yard.
Volunteer Requirements	Volunteers should be able to lift and move items that may be moderately heavy. Most items are not that heavy, but some heavier items include propane tanks or a bucket of gravel. Steel toed boots desired, but not mandatory. Warm work clothing, gloves, hat, and boots. Trucks and tools will be provided by the Birkie.
When Needed	Wednesday through Sunday of Birkie week.15 volunteers per day
Times Needed	9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. On Birkie Saturday, volunteers are needed until about 6:30 PM.
Number Needed	15

Role Specifics	Role Details
Role ID, Area and Title:	086-Stadium-Construction Hand-Sun
Description	Most of the gear for stadium is stored in the maintenance yard at Waskahegan. This must be loaded onto trucks, transported ½ km to the parking lot, and then set up. Items to be set-up include tents, ski racks, propane tanks and heaters, finish line poles and overhead banner, clothing change rooms, barricades, tables and chairs for inside the festival tent, some of the kitchen gear, fire pits, fire wood, and electrical wiring and circuit boxes. On Birkie day, there is last minute set-up, volunteers monitor for problem areas and fix them as necessary. For example, watch and spread gravel on icy spots. After the last skier has come in, clean-up activities begin. On the Sunday after the Birkie, all the gear must be dissembled and moved back to the long-term storage area in the maintenance yard.
Volunteer Requirements	Volunteers should be able to lift and move items that may be moderately heavy. Most items are not that heavy, but some heavier items include propane tanks or a bucket of gravel. Steel toed boots desired, but not mandatory. Warm work clothing, gloves, hat, and boots. Trucks and tools will be provided by the Birkie.
When Needed	Wednesday through Sunday of Birkie week.15 volunteers per day
Times Needed	9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. On Birkie Saturday, volunteers are needed until about 6:30 PM.
Number Needed	15

Role Specifics	Role Details
Role ID, Area and Title:	087-Stadium-Equipment and Logistics
Description	Management of vendors to rent or purchase all equipment or special skills required for the stadium. This includes setting up rentals for – the festival tent, tables, chairs, kitchen burners/BBQs, pots and pans, coffee urns, etc. – Cell phone repeater tower – Electrical contractor – Porta potties – Propane and propane bottles – Audio/visual contractor – Change trailers – Traffic supplies – barricades, traffic cones, etc. – Garbage bins and removal
Volunteer Requirements	Good planning and communication skills. Vendor contract management. This person needs to be very organized. Email and internet access is required.
When Needed	Planning starts in the fall, and monitoring the vendor commitments through the Birkie week. This role is primarily done from home and is time spent is intermittent.
Times Needed	Intermittent
Number Needed	Plan for 70 hours through the fall and prior to the Birkie week, on call and available during the Birkie week as required.

Role Specifics	Role Details
Role ID, Area and Title:	088-Stadium-Nighttime Presence
Description	This volunteer is an on-site presence in the evening and overnight. Theft or vandalism is reduced if the site looks occupied and actively monitored. This person closes the gate to Waskahegan in the evening, and then opens it again in the morning. NOTE: If someone comes into the parking lot while the gates are closed, they are not to be confronted.   Assess the situation and contact the emergency numbers provided. You get a great view of the night sky!
Volunteer Requirements	Volunteer can either set up a bed/tent in the picnic shelter or sleep in their own RV. Free firewood can be found at the picnic shelter.
When Needed	Wednesday night through Saturday night of Birkie week.
Times Needed	9:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
Number Needed	Ideally, 2 volunteers willing to work for 4 days

Role Specifics	Role Details
Role ID, Area and Title:	089-Stadium-Signage setup and takedown
Description	Signs are set up at stadium to provide tent labels and direct traffic. This person will look at the inventory list for signs, determine whether additional signs are required, and order them as necessary. This person sets up the signs during Birkie week, and then takes them down again on Birkie Sunday. The signs and stands can be moved using a personal vehicle, or by the stadium crew. Screws are attached and removed using a portable drill. The signs are kept in long term storage in the maintenance yead. Most of the signs have stands.
Volunteer Requirements	Common sense of signage that is required, and where the signs should be located. Basic knowledge on how to use hand tools such as power drill and screw driver. Warm clothing to work outside and footwear. Comfortable lifting light loads.
When Needed	Planning prior to Birkie week. On site working with signage on Friday and Sunday of Birkie week.
Times Needed	9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Number Needed	A single volunteer willing to work for 2 days