When it comes to Humboldt events, everybody has their own set of expectations. Some people want it to be bigger and better, more exciting, have more variety, more food, more drinks, etc. Take for example the annual Summer Sizzler. Every year when it comes, people always have a litany of demands they think would make it better, with nary a thanks for those who organized it. Few people ever stop to think about the volunteers who dedicate a multitude of hours out of the goodness of their hearts just to make the event possible. And what do they get in return? People turning up their noses and saying, “It wasn’t good enough.”
This year’s Summer Sizzler was set to be a great weekend of fun (as usual, the rain put a damper on things) and had a variety of events happening for all ages. They took the surveys from last year and incorporated those suggestions this year by having the 85-foot drop tower, the teen zone, and the Saskatchewan Roughrider drumline on Saturday. Local business and club volunteers went through non-compulsory efforts just to put on the Saturday parade and yet people said, “It seems like they’re not even trying anymore.”
This community and people from the surrounding area are all great at pitching in and lending a helping hand when the time calls. Whether it’s money, time, supplies, or anything else, people are usually willing to donate what they can. It’s a great characteristic in a community and one that everyone should be proud of.
That being said, this is a message directed to everyone else: all those people living on their couches. You can’t sit at home, refusing to crack open a newspaper or switch on the radio, and say this town has nothing going on. You also can’t sit there and complain about how not fun an event was or how you wish there was more when you’ve done nothing to contribute. We’re all busy people; I get that, but then show some gratitude and appreciation for those people who aren’t selfish with their time.
It takes volunteers to put out chairs and tables and it takes time to put up signs and decorations and organize where and when the events are being held. They were people in the background cleaning up empty cans after the cabaret and manning the ticket tables and entrances. Volunteer clubs like the Vintage Club, the Trails Committee, Safe Communities, and the JCI put on events such as the tractor pull, the Sizzler Strut, and the demolition derby, respectively. All those people who stood out in the rain and mud all day weren’t doing it for any payment. Whether or not you think they’ve met your expectations, they’ve still put forth many hours of their time for your benefit.
We all say thanks to the businesses that sponsor and support fundraising efforts; they get recognition and publicity in the form of free advertising. But volunteers? They don’t get anything except a few words of thanks from the people they assist and perhaps an appreciation lunch once a year. There’s so much they do to help make a community run and rarely do they even get recognized. Those events and barbeques don’t clean up themselves, you know.
Nobody’s asking you to sell everything you own and donate all the money to charity and nobody’s saying you have to become a volunteer. All that’s asked of you is to show up. Go for a walk and say thanks to the volunteers by just being at their events.
Many of the activities that happened this weekend were free and if they weren’t free, they were very reasonably priced. Most of the time, what you were paying money for goes towards either the clubs that are volunteering or the service that was provided (such as the amusement rides). So instead of complaining about how not fun something was, say thank you to the people who tried anyway for no reason but to make this community a better place.
