Hey now, I'm an all-star*
* with a nod to Smash Mouth and a small change in their lyric
So as everyone knows the MLB All Star Game was played here in Cleveland on Tuesday night. What you may or may not know is all the hoopla that led up to the game. Beginning on Friday July 5th at 10:00 AM and culminating on Tuesday July 9th at 6:00 PM there were all kinds of things going on at Malls A,B, and C and in the Huntington Cleveland Convention Center which was turned into Cleveland PlayBall Park for the festivities. It was ah-mahz-ing!
But that's not the point of this post. No, what I wanted to talk about is the spirit of volunteerism that is alive and well in this city! Clevelanders turned out in record numbers for a chance to help the event run smoothly. We all know Cleveland likes to be the biggest or the best at whatever it is they are competing for, and in this case, they definitely were. Over 10,000 folks registered for the chance to be a volunteer - the most ever at any all star game! Only 2,200 were needed and somehow I managed to be one of them!
It was an interesting cross section of humanity. There were men and women. There were old and young (18 and older). There were the slim, trim and athletic and those who could stand to lose a few pounds (like me). There were die hard baseball fans and others also like me, that couldn't quote a single statistic to save my life. There were people in wheelchairs and people using canes. Some folks volunteered as couples but that vast majority of the volunteer crew showed up solo to do their part. Some lived nearby others came from further afield in northeast Ohio. Still others came from out of state, many of whom are "All Star Volunteer Alumni" which is a real thing. There was one gentleman who was serving at his 15th all star game! Again, Ah-mahz-ing!
So what did I do as a volunteer? I answered questions as well as I could and if I didn't know the answer, I'd try to find someone from the MLB staff that could answer it. I pointed people to the nearest bathrooms (hey someone has to do it). I helped people scan their QR codes so they could collect all important badges that could maybe, just maybe, result in a prize. I introduced kids and their parents and sometimes their grandparents to Virtual Reality. I took photographs at the #ALLSTARGAME sign. People were very grateful to get a family or a couples shot and frankly, I really enjoyed doing that. But the thing I did most of all, I talked to people - all sorts of people about anything and everything. I commented on their Pirates or Yankees or Boston logos on their shirts or hats. I smiled and welcomed them to Cleveland. Hopefully I added a positive note to their all star experience as talking to them sure added to mine.
Thanks for reading!
But that's not the point of this post. No, what I wanted to talk about is the spirit of volunteerism that is alive and well in this city! Clevelanders turned out in record numbers for a chance to help the event run smoothly. We all know Cleveland likes to be the biggest or the best at whatever it is they are competing for, and in this case, they definitely were. Over 10,000 folks registered for the chance to be a volunteer - the most ever at any all star game! Only 2,200 were needed and somehow I managed to be one of them!
It was an interesting cross section of humanity. There were men and women. There were old and young (18 and older). There were the slim, trim and athletic and those who could stand to lose a few pounds (like me). There were die hard baseball fans and others also like me, that couldn't quote a single statistic to save my life. There were people in wheelchairs and people using canes. Some folks volunteered as couples but that vast majority of the volunteer crew showed up solo to do their part. Some lived nearby others came from further afield in northeast Ohio. Still others came from out of state, many of whom are "All Star Volunteer Alumni" which is a real thing. There was one gentleman who was serving at his 15th all star game! Again, Ah-mahz-ing!
So what did I do as a volunteer? I answered questions as well as I could and if I didn't know the answer, I'd try to find someone from the MLB staff that could answer it. I pointed people to the nearest bathrooms (hey someone has to do it). I helped people scan their QR codes so they could collect all important badges that could maybe, just maybe, result in a prize. I introduced kids and their parents and sometimes their grandparents to Virtual Reality. I took photographs at the #ALLSTARGAME sign. People were very grateful to get a family or a couples shot and frankly, I really enjoyed doing that. But the thing I did most of all, I talked to people - all sorts of people about anything and everything. I commented on their Pirates or Yankees or Boston logos on their shirts or hats. I smiled and welcomed them to Cleveland. Hopefully I added a positive note to their all star experience as talking to them sure added to mine.
The MLB staff thanked each and every volunteer not once, but every-time we met. They seriously couldn't run the show without a group of responsible volunteers and they did a good job of making us feel like we made a difference!
I had a blast, and would do it again for sure. I am an all star alumni!
Thanks for reading!
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