YARMOUTH — With the 52nd annual Clam Festival only a month away, a new team at the Chamber of Commerce is looking for volunteers to help put together the three-day event from July 21-23.
Last week, the chamber took to Facebook to encourage any individual or organization interested in volunteering at the festival to contact them.
Initially, Communications and Marketing Director Amy Davis said the information was posted because a list of former volunteers went missing. She said she knew the event had regulars, but the new team at the chamber just wasn’t sure who they were.
But Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Adrienne Nardi later said she is confident her team is on track in the planning process and the post was routine.
“The more the merrier,” Nardi said. “We could never have too many volunteers.”
While Nardi and her colleagues at the Chamber of Commerce are in charge of planning everything behind the scenes, every year as many as 30 nonprofit groups, such as the Lions Club, Rotary, school booster groups, and church and civic groups – and around 3,000 volunteers – gather to help set up, clean, park cars, prepare food, supervise booths, and much more.
This year, Nardi says the chamber is working with upwards of 35 organizations.
With this increase in numbers, Nardi says she hopes to add more support and structure to the July 21 parade by having individuals stationed along the route to ensure it runs smoothly.
The kid’s fun run, clam-shucking contest, bike race, and all other events are sponsored by a nonprofit and chaired by an individual volunteer.
For a list of sponsors or to sign up to sponsor an event, visit the festival’s website. For all other volunteering inquiries, email info@clamfestival.com, or call Davis or Nardi at the Chamber of Commerce, 846-3984.
“We are all new here so it has been interesting to learn who has and hasn’t been noticed over the years so that, moving forward, we can recognize them,” Nardi said Nardi. “… (We are) eager to get one Clam Festival under our belts to start preparing for next year.”
Jocelyn Van Saun can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 183 or jvansaun@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter @JocelynVanSaun.
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