March, 2010
The Tall ships are coming! A fleet of 12-14 replicas of historic vessels from the United States, Canada and Europe will be at the Port of Cleveland July 7 - July 11, 2010 as part of the Great Lakes United Tall Ships Challenge®, a series of port-to-port international sailing races, cruises, and maritime festivals starting in Toronto and ending in Chicago.
The Cleveland Tall Ships Festival 2010, presented by the Port of Cleveland and the Rotary Club of Cleveland, is a five day nautical festival with events for the entire family. There will be ship tours, family entertainment, a maritime marketplace, educational displays, and opportunities to experience the adventure of sailing on a tall ship.
We are now recruiting a large, enthusiastic crew of volunteers, age 18 or older, to be part of this exciting event. Our volunteers will assist with many of the operational aspects of the event to insure that the captains, crews, and people attending the event have an outstanding experience. We cordially extend an invitation for you to join us.
A volunteer Fact Sheet is included below. Please share this information with your family and friends. An electronic version of the application can be found by clicking here.
If you have any questions about volunteering for the Cleveland Tall Ships Festival 2010, please email clevelandtallships@gmail.com or leave a message at 216-236-8467.
We look forward to receiving your application and seeing you in July!
Julie West
Volunteer Committee Chair
Cleveland Tall Ships Festival 2010
TALL SHIPS FESTIVAL 2010
July 7-11, 2010
VOLUNTEER FACTS AND INFORMATION
Volunteer Commitment - We sincerely appreciate your time and interest in helping us bring one of the largest, most unique events to Cleveland. As a volunteer you must
- Be 18 years old
- Be available for a minimum of 2 shifts from July 7-12, 2010
- Attend 1 mandatory training session
- Sign a waiver form
- Complete each shift, regardless of the weather. This is an outdoors, all-weather event
- Be able to walk and/or stand during your entire shift; breaks will be provided
- Be able to do some light labor (moving/lifting of chairs)
Volunteer Assignments - The Volunteer Coordinator will determine all volunteer shifts and assignments. Types of assignments may include:
General Event Volunteer Positions:
- Greeters - Welcome, answer questions - help manage people's time and expectations upon arrival
- Ticket Takers - Front gate
- Information People - "Ask Me" - you will be given an information book that answers most of the anticipated questions the public tends to ask
- Crowd Control - at the gates, ship lines and on-board
- Hospitality - Work the hospitality functions on-deck and on-dock, help with everything from bus groups to weddings and VIP receptions
Specialized Volunteer Positions:
- Docents - You will be trained to answer questions about a specific ship so you can replace the crew for breaks and crew activities. This is a fun job and most appreciated by the crew. You must be available for several shifts throughout the weekend (they do not have to be consecutive). The Docent position is a unique job - if you have an interest in history, ships, sailing, or are just willing to work extra shifts, and have time to be trained - please indicate this on your form. Please note: This is an on-deck position, and requires standing.
- Ship Liaison - Ship Liaisons work directly with the ships throughout their stay in Cleveland. A good working knowledge of Cleveland and how to get around is helpful. You must be available all five days. A typical day includes meeting with the Captain or the First Mate, advising him of the days' activities; helping a crew member find a dentist or Internet access, driving the cook to the supermarket for provisioning, and so on.
Volunteer Benefits
- Cleveland Tall Ships Festival 2010 T-shirt
- 2 Complimentary Tickets to Cleveland Tall Ships Festival
- Discounted Parking
- Food and Beverage voucher while Volunteering