Volunteer for the Mississippi River Challenge

Help with the challenge within the Mississippi River Challenge — keeping hundreds of paddlers refreshed, inspired, and safe! Volunteers provide essential support all weekend long, over the entire route of the event, from Coon Rapids Dam to Grey Cloud Island.

In addition to the gratitude of the paddlers, volunteers receive a complimentary Mississippi River Challenge t-shirt, plus meals or snacks at their volunteer site(s). We encourage you to consider volunteering for two sites and making a day of it — giving your time helps us put more resources into helping the river. Plus, volunteers who contribute eight hours over the course of the weekend are invited to attend the festivities at Historic Fort Snelling on the evening of July 30th compliments of Friends of the Mississippi River. (Those who volunteer for less than eight hours are welcome to sign up and pay the fee to attend the fort festivities. It’s a great deal!)

I want to volunteer for the Mississippi River Challenge! 

To volunteer, complete the form below. (More information about shifts and tasks can be found below this form.) We’ll get back to you to confirm and discuss any details. You may include questions or concerns in the Comments, Questions or Interests box of the form. Please contact our Program Assistant directly at or 651-222-2193 x23 if you have not received a reply to a prior submission.

All fields marked with * must be completed.

My contact info:

* First Name:
* Last Name:
Organization:
* Address:
(extra address line)
* City:  * State:  * ZIP:
E-mail:
* Area code:  * Phone Number:
Is the information above for work or home? HomeWork
* Please select your shirt size: XS S M L XL XXL
* Please select your meal preference: No preference Vegetarian

I am interested in volunteering for:

To sign up for more than one shift, you may either reset and resubmit the form, or note the additional shifts/locations in the comments box below.

Please note: Items marked [FULL] already have enough volunteers signed up. If you really want to work those specific times and locations, let us know and we will try to work it out.

Date & Time:	Any time Friday through Sunday Fri, July 29 & Sat, July 30, various times Sat, July 30 & Sun, July 31, various times Fri, July 29 evening Sat, July 30 all day! Sat, July 30 morning Sat, July 30 mid-day Sat, July 30 evening Sun, July 31 all day! Sun, July 31 morning Sun, July 31 mid-day Office work the week(s) after the event	More about times, dates, and locations
Location:	Wherever you need me most Coon Rapids Dam - Fri, July 29 late afternoon or evening Coon Rapids Dam - Sat, July 30 morning Grey Cloud Island - Sat, July 30 early evening Islands of Peace, Fridley - Sat, July 30 morning Bassett Creek Park, Mpls - Sat, July 30, late morning/lunchtime Minneapolis Rowing Club - Sat, July 30, mid-day Ft Snelling - Sat, July 30 morning, afternoon or evening Ft Snelling - Sun, July 31 morning Harriet Island - Sun, July 31, morning Kaposia Landing, South Saint Paul - Sun, July 31 lunchtime Lion's Levee Park, Saint Paul Park - Sun, July 31, mid-day Grey Cloud Island - Sun, July 31, late afternoon & early evening FMR office - before or after event
Volunteer Job:	General Event Assistant Safety Captain (for extra-qualified paddlers) First-Aid Assistant (for certified individuals) Office assistance before or after the event	More about volunteer jobs

Comments, questions or interests:

If you selected "Any time Friday through Sunday" for Date and time above, please let us know how much time you would like to volunteer.

 

---

Mississippi River Challenge Volunteer Locations and Shifts

Specific times will be assigned to each task/site closer to the event.

Items marked with * indicate volunteer positions that involve handling cash. These positions require volunteers with previous experience volunteering with FMR.

Friday, July 29th

Coon Rapids Dam/Three Rivers Park — Late afternoon/Evening: check in and registration

Sign up now!

Saturday, July 30th

Coon Rapids Dam/Three Rivers Park — Early morning: Canoe and Kayak check in* & put-in

Historic Fort Snelling — Early morning: One-day paddler car drop off & shuttle

Grey Cloud Island — Early morning: Car drop off and shuttle

Islands of Peace Park — Mid-morning: Morning Rest Stop for paddlers

Bassett Creek — Late morning/Mid-day: Lunch

Minneapolis Rowing Club — Mid-afternoon: Afternoon Rest Stop for paddlers

Historic Fort Snelling — Late afternoon through the evening: First day take-out, evening festivities and overnight campsite

Sign up now!

Sunday, July 31st

Historic Fort Snelling — Early morning: Breakfast, second day put-in

Harriet Island — Mid-morning: Morning Rest Stop for paddlers

Kaposia Landing — Mid-day: Lunch for paddlers (Accessible only by water, we provide a shuttle.)

Lion's Levee Park — Mid to late afternoon: Afternoon Rest Stop for paddlers

Grey Cloud Island — Final stop of the event: Paddler take-out

Sign up now!

---

Volunteer Job Descriptions

First-Aid Assistant

Qualified health-care and medical professionals are sought at each stop along the route to provide first-aid assistance as needed. Sign up now! Please include a sentence or two about your background and availability in the “Comments” box.

General Event Assistant

“Event assistant” covers a wide range of tasks at each site, which are outlined below. You may sign up to be a General Event Assistant, or you may indicate a specific task by adding it to the comments box on the signup form. Specific tasks at each site include:

Paddler Helper

This multitask position is available at each stop along the canoe and kayak route, from put in to take out, for volunteers who enjoy being physically active. You will arrive at each stopping point in advance of the paddlers to clean up debris and trash (especially along the beaches to ensure safe landings) and ready the site. As paddlers come down the river, you will help them out of their canoes, work in teams to move boats and make room for additional arrivals, and help get boats back in the water when paddlers are ready to move on. When the last stragglers have paddled through, you will close down the site by cleaning up any trash and taking care of other site specific details. Requires some heavy lifting and a sense of humor. Approximate duration: 4 hours per site. Sign up now! Indicate “Paddler Helper” in “Comments.”

Refreshment Assistant

At each stop along the route, Refreshment Assistants will offer food and drinks to the participants, and a few lucky assistants will be needed to scoop ice cream at Fort Snelling on Saturday night. You will also need to be available for set-up and breakdown of the refreshment area at each site. Requires an ability to move fairly quickly and stay calm in the face of paddlers needing immediate sustenance. Approximate duration: 4 hours per site. Sign up now! Indicate “Refreshment Assistant” in “Comments.”

Registration Helper

This volunteer position is available at Coon Rapids Dam on Friday and Saturday, and also at Fort Snelling Saturday evening. At Coon Rapids Dam, you will check participants in, distribute luggage tags, get forms signed, and handle general registration duties. At the Fort, you will check in evening visitors to the event, hand out food and drink vouchers, and handle some cash transactions. You will also need to answer questions about the event but can refer people to the site managers if necessary. Requires a friendly smile as well as an ability to pay attention to details and stay organized. Previous experience volunteering with FMR also required. Approximate duration: 3 hours per site. Sign up now!

<-->

Opportunities inside before and after the event

An event like the Mississippi River Challenge requires a fair amount of pre- and post-event work. If you are available during weekday hours, please consider volunteering for these activities in the FMR Office — July 11 though August 15th.

Sign up now!