January may seem like a long way away, but for Bracebridge officials, it’s coming quickly.
That means town and BIA staff are now putting out the call for volunteers as the Fire and Ice Festival nears. Bracebridge Event Coordinator Jenny Cowle says the festival takes a massive amount of work, most of which couldn’t happen without volunteers.
“An event like this brings in about 14,000 people annually and requires months of planning and hard work,” says Cowle. “Without the dedication of these volunteers, it would be quite difficult to bring all of that fun that Fire and Ice brings.”
Cowle says volunteering doesn’t mean gruelling work either, there are lots of perks to helping out.
“You get a free toque, and if you volunteer for more than one three hour shift you get a hot meal provided to you,” says Cowle. “All volunteers also get access to coffee and hot beverages and a free pass to the event.”
Overall, 150 volunteers are needed for many roles such as tube run, fire pit, parking and ticket sales attendants, as well as helpers during set up and tear down.
Cowle says the positions provide some fun for volunteers as much as attendees of the event as well.
“Like wearing our mascot costume downtown and interacting with guests throughout the day.”
As Fire and Ice runs on January 26th, Cowle says the hope is to have all volunteer positions filled a few weeks earlier by the 14th. If you’re interested in volunteering with this important tourism-focused event you can email organizers at [email protected].