Pre-Race Opportunities

Data Entry: Although online registration is faster and easier, many people still prefer to register using the paper form. We need people to enter the information from the paper forms into the online database (you will get no financial information). You can do this from your own home and own computer in September.

Survivor Luncheon: At our annual Survivor Luncheon we need volunteers to greet, register and sign in our guests, help with the silent auction, and work at the merchandise table.

Chip Packet Assembly: We need volunteers to help us put together the race packets, matching bib numbers with the associated registration and timing chip. We do this at our office at 501 New Karner Road in Colonie on a Saturday -- it's casual, but accuracy is very important.

Team Box Assembly: We need volunteers to help us put together boxes for registered teams containing that team's t-shirts, chip packets (for runners), id bibs (for walkers), pins, etc. We have team ranging in size from 10 -- 150 so pre-packaging their items makes it easier for everybody on race day. We do this at the BUZZ radio station garage (in Colonie on a Monday and/or Tuesday evening)

Move Supplies: Most of the items we need to stage the event are stored at the BUZZ radio station garage. On the Wednesday evening before the race we have to move all of it from the BUZZ to the Empire State Plaza so it is available to us for early packet pickup. We use a truck, so we are not asking you to move things in your vehicles, but we need people to load the truck at the BUZZ and unload it at the Plaza. Two separate groups work well for this -- muscle helps.

Registration/Packet Pick-up: On the Thursday and Friday before the race we are open for business at the Empire State Plaza. We need volunteers to look up registration information and handout t-shirts, walk bibs, and those runner packets we put together at Chip Packet Assembly.

Merchandise Table: People like to have a little remembrance of the race, and we offer small pink ribbon items for sale at our merchandise table. We need volunteers to work this table. These volunteers will handle small amounts of money.

Race Day Opportunities

Food/Beverage: Pick up Many local supermarkets donate items for use at our race and sometimes we need to pick up those items at the markets and bring them to the Empire State Plaza or the Buzz radio station garage.

Set Up: We get to the Plaza bright and early on race day to get the registration area ready, make sure our sponsor representatives have everything they need, prepare the merchandise table, sign in volunteers, etc. Plaza workers do the heavy work, but there is lots of set up to do. We also have a crew go to Washington Park to set up the race course (gotta place those cones & saw horses).

Volunteer Check In: We need people to help check in the rest of the volunteers, hand out their special volunteer t-shirts make sure they know where to go, etc.

Race Day Registration: Lots of people pick up their packets and register on race day. We need lots of people to sort t-shirts, hand out bibs, take registrations, etc. The line can get long and the more helpers we have the better off we are.

Merchandise Table: People like to have a little remembrance of the race, and we offer small pink ribbon items for sale at our merchandise table. We need volunteers to work this table. These volunteers will handle small amounts of money.

Pledge Table: We need a few people to accept pledge money. This is one of the few sitting down jobs we offer.

Bag Check (Maybe): We could possibly offer a bag check this year for the race only. Organizational skills would be important for this job. If you volunteer for bag check and we decide not to follow through with that idea (we are checking into liability and insurance issues), I would contact you to place you elsewhere on race day.

Survivor Tent: Survivors are special people and outside, on the plaza we have a tent for survivors with a few tables and special "gifties." We need people to make sure the food, gifties, etc. are kept supplied.

Course Marshall: We need people at roadway intersections at the park to ensure that our runners and walkers have a clear right of way and are going in the right direction. Course Marshalls also keep an eye out for injured runners who may need medical attention from the medical team we have stationed at the finish line. The City of Albany Police Department is present at city street intersections to block vehicle traffic; our Course Marshalls remind pedestrian traffic to keep out of the way of runners.

Water Station: We keep water available to runners and walkers at two stations, one in Washington Park and the other at the race finish line. We need people to keep the water supply stocked and hand it out to runners and walkers.

Food & Beverage: We need volunteers to help unpack and display the food and beverage outside on the Plaza. There are two shifts, the early shift arrives at 7, they unpack, separate the bananas, make sure the yogurt is on ice, cut and display the bagels, etc. The second shift takes over at 9 to maintain the food supply. Having two shifts lets our runners and walkers both volunteer and participate in either the walk or the run. Lots of hungry people mean we need lots of help.

Plaza Clean Up: After the event we need to pick up our mess. Plaza staff does the heavy work, but we need people to pick up the stray water bottles, etc. from the plaza area. It is our responsibility not to leave a mess, and we take it seriously.

Plaza Pack Up: All the items we moved from the Buzz garage to the Plaza on Wednesday -- some of it needs to be packed up and put on the truck to be returned to our office. Again, two crews would be great; one to the office to load the truck at the Plaza and the other to unload the truck at our office. Muscle is very welcome.