The strength of any organization is in its people, and in the case of our Market, we are successful due to the dedication of our volunteers. Most of our volunteers work every single Friday from May through October, and it is something that is noticed by our vendors and customers alike. This year, 20 volunteers have put in just shy of 3,000 hours to make sure the Market runs as smoothly as possible, which in a dollar value comes out to over $62,000! This week, wed like to introduce you to these hard-working individuals. Our Market would not happen if it werent for Frank Trew, Market Manager, Teresa Campbell, Assistant Market Manager, and Maggie Sidlinger, Treasurer and Organizer Extraordinaire! Not only do they work the Market every Friday, but they also put in countless hours during the week - every week. Frank is the face of the Market. After our success last year, he knew that we could double (or triple) the number of vendors, but we needed a bigger space, and he worked with Ace Hardware to secure the space, including a great entertainment stage and to have plenty of storage space for all everything we need to run the Market. He also works closely with Piedmont Natural Gas on the Snap program, ensuring that everyone has access to fresh produce and meat. He is in constant contact with the vendors, he works on the Market layout every week, he secures our sponsorships, and when a problem arises, he addresses it and quickly comes up with a solution. Frank doesnt like to take the credit, but we all know he is the heart and soul of the Market. Teresa and Maggie are Franks right-hand women. They work very closely with Frank on all aspects of the Market and can step in and take over at any time. Theyve visited vendors, gone to seminars and meetings to learn more about how to make our Market the best it can be, and they oversee the Information Booth. Maggie also takes care of balancing the books, pays the vendors, reconciles the Snap benefits, and she has worked very hard to get us organized so things can run smoothly. And she scheduled the wonderful Food Truck vendors that we have each week. If youve driven down Old Lebanon Road or parked at the Donelson Plaza and walked over to the Market, youve seen Stuart Kuperstock, David Sidlinger, and Austin Swift. After the issues with opening day traffic and the concern for pedestrians trying to cross Old Lebanon Road, we decided we needed to have crossing guards for the safety of everyone. Two of these three guys are out there every week, in the rain, in the heat, dealing with irate drivers - always with a smile and a friendly hello to everyone. So when you see them, please take a moment to thank them, and even though were done with the scorching hot summer days, you might bring them a lemonade from The Big Lemon or water that you can get at the Information Booth. Naomi Regensburg, Kathy Jernigan, and Marcy Yaffe can typically be found at the Information Booth. If youve bought a t-shirt, cap, water, purchased Snap tokens, or just needed help, youve probably talked to one of these three ladies. Naomi also was instrumental in getting everything we needed for the recycling stations, and she typically is there from set-up through tear-down. Have you met the crazy dog people yet? That would be Marylee Locey, Derek Pence and Jessica Pence. They are with us most weeks for tear-down, but before that happens, they are out working the Market, helping with whatever is needed and stopping to meet and visit with every four-legged visitor to the Market - usually with treats in hand. We know youve enjoyed the entertainment we have each week, and we have Jeff Syracuse to thank for that. He had almost all of the entertainment booked before the Market even opened this year! It was a huge help for all of us, and with Jeffs contacts in the music business, we knew that the entertainment would be awesome. He also comes out to help with tear-down, particularly with music equipment, so we know it wont get damaged. We cant thank our volunteers without mentioning the young ones. Seth and Lizzy Locey, Daniel Sidlinger, Joey Syracuse, and Clare and Daniel McNamara have all been a tremendous help to us. When all of us old folks are tired at the end of the Market, they are still going strong and willing to do whatever we ask of them. We think its great that they are learning the importance of volunteering at such young ages. There are many others who are with us from time to time - Jason Locey, Sharron Gay, Diane and Jim McNamara, Michele Mazzu, Melanie Moore, and Rachel Clark to name a few. These folks are always willing to step up when we most need the help - and even when we dont! We apologize if weve left your name off the list, and please know that all help is greatly appreciated! So when youre at the Market today, be sure to say thank you to our volunteers. We say it over and over again, but we wouldnt have a Market without them! Its going to be a great day today. The weather will be perfect, and Cara Being Blue will be entertaining us from 5 - 7pm. The shuttle will be running constantly between the Donelson Plaza and Music City Star parking lots, and as always, our vendors will be there with plenty of fresh goodness for you! Well see you there!
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 18:07:12 +0000
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