BCYF Volunteer Resources & Instructions
- - - Riverwood’s #1 visit-generating event annually to our Facebook & website pages! (Board End 5) - - -
BCYF Board Theme: “Planet Fair”
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The fair brochure is available at https://bcyf.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021-Brochure-for-advertising.pdf
Booth design: A photo will go out BY EMAIL the Friday before the fair and/or over the weekend showing what the booth should look like each day/what it should look like at opening. Please do your best to keep the booth setup as pictured.
Emergency contact: TEXT Candy Thompson (see CALENDAR for her contact #) and she will contact the best support person. Ex: Significant item damage, run out of popcorn.
Popcorn: There is plenty of popcorn and it should be the “go-to” freebie for passers-by. Try to use-up roughly one full bag per shift. TEXT Candy early in your shift if popcorn is getting low (<1 bag remaining).
> Popcorn will be delivered in the morning and waiting for your shift. Please use the gloves provided to fill the smaller bags with popcorn, and keep them filled for display in the popcorn maker window.
ENCOURAGE SELFIES. Remind visitors to HASHTAG #riverwoodcenter or @riverwoodcenter to Facebook, making the photo PUBLIC. Just be a friendly face!
Photos will be entered for 1 of 3 self-care gift bundles valued at >$150
Winners will be tagged/announced the Monday after fair. (No more than 1 winner per day). Winners will be contacted by FB messenger for gift pick-up.
If you know someone in a photo, or you as staff take a photo (highly encouraged), please visit Facebook and tag yourself, and tag #bcyf / #berriencountyyouthfair for even more views.
(! ! !) This is the biggest “traffic”-securing outreach activity Riverwood
has each year, and depends largely on tags and #hashtagged public photos. Have fun!
Open & Close
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Openers: Grounds are open by 8:30am (often as early as 6:30). You CAN arrive before your timeslot, but please arrive NO later than 10:30 to open.
> Please unclip tent walls from top to “bend”-back the front and left-sides… wrap-to-back the sides neatly, around the side(s) of the tent (so they look neatly folded back).
For Saturday final closing: The tent does not get pulled down but all else does.
Please do not throw anything away unless it is true trash. It will need to be packed and brought back to Riverwood on Sunday or Monday.
Loading (typically) requires 1-2 SUVs and/or one back-seats-flat car to get all materials to fair. You may pack-up all of the non-visible items / spares as soon as traffic starts decreasing in the evening.
> You must stay until 11:00, OR until all things are taken down thereafter (except the tent) per the BCYF contract. We cannot tear-down fully* before 11 (unless the tents to your left and right begin to).
fast facts
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THEME: BCYF Summer Safari – Riverwood “Safari Basecamp”
ARRIVE: 30-minutes early (to park/walk)
ADDRESS: 9122 US-31, Berrien Springs, MI 49103
LOCATION: Path behind main grandstand
LOOK FOR: Red and white or yellow and white tent
PARKING: Enter Gate 2 across from Apple Valley; drive straight back to lots behind commercial buildings
EMPHASIZE: “Please take a selfie at our booth and publicly
hashtag your photo to Facebook using #RiverwoodCenter” Priority ItemPRIZES: 3 winners drawn from selfies set to public/properly tagged;
>$150-equivalent self-care prize bundle each announced at week-end to FacebookCOVERAGE: BCYF vendor agreement requires 1+ staff remain at booth
at all times during open hours (11-11) Priority ItemCOURTESY: Timeliness is important to the staff before/after your timeslot.
Please communicate to the other shift(s) any issue in timing.RAIN: Pick-up off ground anything that can be damaged by moisture. May close tent-side if too windy…
POPCORN: Keep small bagged servings out on table. Use up all popcorn at your tent!
Supplies will be on-site already. Priority ItemCONNECT: Chat, be pleasant, be welcoming… you are the face of Riverwood.
Brochures are at tent for those interested.CLOTHING: Wear warm-weather (but appropriate) items; RVW-provided shirt; shorts, etc.
HEAT: Fan will be on-site. Plan to bring your own water (plastic bottle, bring-in inside a bag), or purchase drinks at the fair as needed.
SANITATION: Sanitizer will be on-site. Bathrooms are both to the right (end of path) and left (center “courtyard”) of our booth.
ELECTRICITY: …is limited. Personal fans require a battery if you opt to bring your own mini-fan or mister.
NIGHT SHIFT: Clip-up all tent sides to close.
Pull-in/pick-up any items that can be damaged by water overnight. Priority ItemDÉCOR: A photo will be sent out to all volunteers before fair start showing how the tent should look when fully opened.
SATURDAY CLOSE: Bring a truck, van, or open-bed space vehicle. Pack-up ALL items but tent itself. Fair often packs-up EARLY pre-9:30 (FYI). ONLY throw-away fully damaged items. Please check all items back in to IT by COB Monday after fair. Priority Item
EMERGENCIES: Call 911, and/OR go to fair security (to left of tent in main courtyard),
OR go to white booth by Home-Ec buildings lot to page fairgrounds,
OR TEXT Candy (see CALENDAR invite slot for her #)
Thank you volunteers for helping to make this event a success!
Location
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Location: See image at bottom for getting to our fair tent. The easiest spot to park is in the “back” lot(s) off of E. Shawnee Rd. (The driveway itself is Sylvester Ave.).
Note: If entering through Shawnee, the “shuttle” you might see is actually a tractor full of hay bales you can ride in on if needed. You will enter/be delivered to the walkway intersection where you will see:
> Horse barns/arenas to your right; TURN LEFT toward the commercial buildings…
> …walk past some of the buildings on your left, and food vendors on your right…
> TURN RIGHT at the first cement path and head toward the main grandstand.
There is usually a main lemonade stand to the right, and tractors to the left.
> Our tent is located immediately BEHIND the main grandstand.
In the map, follow the “path” marked to our tent.
Bathrooms are at the corner of the “commercial building row” and our main cement path, OR the large/main bathrooms are right behind the fire department mini-building. …go left or right, you will run into bathrooms.
> The nicest ones are mmediately at the end of the main grandstand (opposite end of the commercial buildings) 😊 …step outside the front of our tent, turn left, and you will walk straight into the women’s one if you don’t turn.
> Usually* if you see the white large-ish tractor info barn, you haven’t walked quite far enough to get to the bathrooms near the commercial buildings.
Reminders
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Supervision: Double -check with your supervisor to informally “approve” any day shift time at fair.
Please pick-up your tee and fair pass(es) at least the DAY BEFORE
you are scheduled to work your first shift. You need to take ONE pass per day you work.These may be picked-up at the Building II front desk/reception area (unless directed to receive from Candy (IT)). You CAN leave fair and return later, but MUST ask at the gate for a hand stamp, wristband/other marker to do so.
BMHA tees are encouraged but not required.
Please dress “on-theme” if at all possible; (accessorize). Shorts are allowed.Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your shift to have time to find parking and get to the tent.