Hamilton Supercrawl volunteers are the life of the party

This article was originally published in CBC Hamilton, Sept. 15, 2012

Supercrawl would never happen without the army of 200 volunteers who keep it humming.

One of those volunteers, Mohawk student Kate-Lynn Thring, arrived Saturday at 7 a.m., chugged a can of energy drink and was ready to take on the day.

“We’re pumped to be here. It’s a great morning. It started off great,” said 24-year-old Thring.

Curiosity led her here.

“I drove by before. But I never knew what it was like. I never knew there’s an art aspect to it.”

And she is happy to help.

“It’s my way to give it back to the community. You learn about yourself. You have to be patient, waking up at 7a.m. in the morning to do things for free,” said Thring, who is enrolled in the recreation and leisure services diploma program at Mohawk.

Thring is not the only one who felt the energy going strong during Supercrawl.

Forty-two-year-old volunteer Wendy Battram was feeling it by 10 a.m.

“There’s a lot of energy. What’s infectious here is the energy that everyone feels,” said Battram, as she awaits instructions on organizing vendors on the parking lot at Wilson Street.

Battram sees Supercrawl as the extension of the arts culture in Toronto, coming west to Hamilton.

“Hamilton has so much to offer. If you’re going to be in the community, you have to be a part of it,” Battram said.

Lindsay Godard is not new to Supercrawl. This is her third year at the annual event.

The 31-year-old lives just off James Street North so it is easy for her to volunteer.

“I really want to support the revitalization of downtown Hamilton. It’s rewarding to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”

Grade 9 student Alex Ramsay is helping out at Supercrawl to complete the mandatory 40 hours of community involvement at Westdale High. But he’s also here to support his father’s band, Sianspheric.

Forty-five-year-old Chris Schotsman is not new to the crawl scene, but is introducing his 16-year-old daughter to Hamilton bands and music through Supercrawl.

Schotsman’s daughter had a chance to meet musicians at the green room, an artist-only space, on top of Jackson Square.

Volunteer coordinator, Penny Dobson, has nothing but positive things to say.

“Amazing. They’re hardworking and ready to go.”