We’re seeing it happen a lot in community organizations around the Cowichan Valley. Longtime volunteers are becoming tapped out, and there isn’t anyone to take up the mantle.
This is endangering the very continuance of some of our communities’ best-loved events and groups.
The Arthritis Society is saying farewell in June, the 2016 Heart and Stroke Breakfast on Feb. 1 will be the last, and past organizers of Lake Days are warning that unless somebody else steps up soon to take it over, it, too, might become a thing of the past.
Which would be a big shame.
Lake Days has a long and colourful history in town, and people look forward to it every year.
From the annual parade to the iconic Lady of the Lake pageant, it’s something that people have grown up with and aspire to be part of.
But not enough people are aspiring to be part of the planning and gruntwork, folks like Bob Day are warning.
And if that doesn’t change it may be a tearful goodbye to a summertime staple.
We sincerely hope that some energetic volunteers take the leap.
Lake Days is a great economic driver for the community in the summer, but it’s about more than dollars and cents. It’s become part of the community identity, woven into its history and the very fabric of who, collectively, we are.
Day also wanted people to know that it’s not the big, scary commitment that many people seem to think it is. This has no doubt caused some who thought about getting involved to back away. If you want to help, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be personally responsible for the full weight of the entire event. You won’t, personally, have to organize the Lady of the Lake pageant, for example. There are committees that take on the nuts and bolts of the various components, and it’s more about the need to have some people who can coordinate all the moving parts to make sure its cohesive.
As with many endeavours, if a group of people step up it means less of a burden on any particular individual — and less subsequent burnout. So why not ask about what you can do?