Volunteers Needed, Welcomed and Appreciated
HMSA is a small club and we need all of us. It’s getting to be that time of the year when we need you most. We have the Texas Metric Marathon (26.2 km) coming up on November 13, and there are many opportunities for you, even if you’re planning to run. One of the best things about volunteering is getting to know other club members and finding out how we enjoy one another and pulling together for this big event. After all, it’s our one moneymaker of the year; it keeps us afloat and gives us our newsletters, our parties and allows us the generous reimbursement program for our members.
We’ve listed below the various chairpersons who contribute a lot of time to the 25K. Have a look at what’s available. Email us! We want to hear from you! We’ll forward your name and address to the appropriate chairperson. Or you can call Jo Ann Luco, our volunteer chair at 713-926-6709.
If you will not be available on race day, here’s what you can do ahead of time.
Please don't forget to ask your chairperson for your volunteer T-shirt.
Packet Pick-Up and Late Registration: Mike Mangan keeps so busy entering the 600+ late registrants and he can use help on Thursday (November 10 New Balance Store in Spring), Friday (November 11 Fleet Feet Sports in Rice Village) and Saturday (November 12 Fleet Feet Sports at Woodlands and Voss) from 10-6. It’s a long day but you can volunteer for a few hours to distribute packets to our runners.
Equipment Pickup and Return: Wayne Hasle and Tom McBrayer can use your muscle power to load equipment on Saturday morning (November 13) and after the race all equipment must be returned to the equipment storage facility on the South Loop.
Food Preparation: Sam Musachia can use some help in getting things ready the night before the race. Checking out supplies, etc.
Race Morning Starts Early around 5 AM but we’re finished before noon! Be sure to come by Wortham Center's Fish Plaza to pick up your volunteer T-shirt. A goody food bag will be available for you at your duty station on the course.
Start and Finish Line Set-Up: Tom McBrayer heads this up. Both areas must be ready before 7 AM and the start line area must be dismantled immediately after the 7 AM race start. Dismantling of the finish line starts about 10:30.
Water Station Set Up: Wayne Hasle has the truck out delivering tables, chairs, hoses, rakes, cups, etc. to the 3 water stations on the course and the one at the start and finish. And they must be picked up after the race. It’s a tough job and we have a good man doing it but he can’t do it alone.
Course Set Up: David Holloway and German Collazos go out early to place the mile and kilometer markers. This allows them to run the race and you could too!
Traffic Control: Smith Street parking is reserved for our race chairpersons and volunteers are needed to help control who will park there. HPD is good at helping you do this. It would take 5-6 people to help out. Our vendors also need a place to park and unload after which they move their vehicles. Contact hmsa@houstonmasters.org.
Water Stations: Bob Chandler directs our station captains and volunteers at the 3 sites on the course and at the start and finish lines. Volunteers hand out water and fluid replacement drinks to our 2500 runners. Wayne keeps the stations supplied during the race.
Baggage Check: Runners leave their warm-ups, etc. with Ann Hibbert at the gazebo on the Plaza. Usually, we have volunteers from Cenikor who also help out at this spot.
Post Race Party: Sam Musachia arranges for all the food and drinks for our party but he sure needs help in setting up and distributing the goodies.
Finishers’ T-Shirts: Ivy Martino is in charge and lots of help is needed here. We distribute to finishers of both the 25K (great looking red Windshirts!) and the Fleet Feet Relay.
Timers: Bill Hadley has taken this on since his retirement as Race Director. Runners’ times are called at each mile marker and they are given their pace at selected points.
Fleet Feet Buffalo Bayou Relay: Noah Matthews heads up this new part of our event. Noah will need volunteers to help set up the exchange point and to help out during the race. Volunteers will also direct runners to the Plaza for their shirts and refreshments.
Medical Liaison: Paul Cooley can use some help in identifying runners who may be in the medical tent and tending to their needs if necessary. No medical experience needed; we have qualified EMT’s for that.
Clean Up. Paul Cooley is in charge. Picking up the Plaza is the last thing we do and we can use everyone — even if you’ve run. Here’s another opportunity to help if you want to run. There’s a trailer available to haul away the trash so we won’t ask you to take any in your vehicle!
Please consider this your personal invitation to volunteer.
Let us know where you would like to work and you will hear from us.
Please give us your name and phone number or email.
It’s a great opportunity to meet our members and to become one of Houston's many “thousand points of light.” To volunteer:
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