State Fair Volunteers Needed

The N.C. Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach (formerly the Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance) will staff a recycling education booth again this year at the State Fair, and we need volunteers. The fair will be held in Raleigh off Blue Ridge Road, Thursday, October 14, 2010-Sunday, October 24, 2010.

The recycling education booth will be part of the Green NC tent. The booth will include a computer to sign an America Recycles Day pledge card, take a survey and look up local information on Ecoville. The booth will also include a schematic of a MRF, a large cardboard cut-out of Can Guy and recycling thought bubbles. The latter two items will be used as an interactive component to the exhibit.

Volunteers will need to be comfortable answering questions about recycling and composting. A few educational handouts and a training video will be given to volunteers to quickly bring you up to speed on our main educational topics and initiatives. Breaks will be given throughout your shift, but you will be standing while at the booth; chairs will not be available.

The state fair recycling effort will continue this year. The Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services has purchased another 40 recycling bins to be located throughout the property. The department is also working to finalize a recycling oversight contract with a local consulting company. This will free up our volunteers to focus only on education. However, I will provide you with information about recycling at the fair so that we can answer questions from attendees as they arise.

We are seeking 2 to 4 volunteers per shift (depending on the day and time). The first shift will be from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., the second shift is from 12:30 – 4 p.m., the afternoon shift is from 3:30 – 7 p.m. and the final shift is from 6:30 - 9:45 p.m.

Volunteers will be given:

1. A daily entrance ticket to get into the fair for free each day you work

2. A fair t-shirt

3. A parking pass or bus pass (if you sign up to work two 3-hour shifts – they do not need to be consecutive shifts). Keep in mind, parking is very limited and using the Park and Ride may still be your best option to get to the fairgrounds.

If you are interested in volunteering, please complete this survey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/89KHWLS) with the preferred days and times you can work. NC DEAO will contact you closer to the event to confirm your date, time and directions to the State Fairgrounds. Please email re3.org@gmail.com with questions.