Set up for this year’s Festival of Trees began Sunday morning, and it all begins at the David S Palmer Arena this coming Saturday, November 12th, at 11 AM. It will run through Wednesday the 16th. The Balloons Over Vermilion organization is once again running the show, as Festival of Trees marks its Silver Anniversary. Jim Anderson recently joined Tommy B on D102’s The Big Show. He says the set-up and heavy lifting volunteers are set. But they always need more help for the actual event.
AUDIO: Our volunteers are part of the festival family. So, we have an awful lot of our patrons who come in with smiles on their faces, and we want to make sure they have a wonderful time and they leave with smiles on their faces. And a lot of that has to do with the volunteers, with whom they interact.
Pat O’Shaughnessy reminds prospective volunteers what to do.
AUDIO: You can sign up with a friend. It’s a neat program. Go to FestivalofTreesDanville.com. Click on the volunteer tab, it’ll take you right to it. You can pick your shift. You can pick what you’re going to do; who you’re going to work with. It’ll send you a reminder letter.
You can also volunteer by calling Mary McMillan on their special volunteer hotline at 217-274-6426.
Elaine O’Shaughnessy spoke to D102’s Tommy B on “The Big Show” about the “cookie helpers” at Festival of Trees that start very young and continue to come back every year.
Elaine O’Shawnessy, meanwhile, reflected upon the cookie tradition at Festival of Trees.
AUDIO: Cute little girls that have gone from three, four years old to now they’re in junior high or high school. They say they still want to come bake with me. And they pass around to the designers that are there, and the steering committee. And there’s nothing better on this planet than a warm gingerbread cookie right out of the over.
Elaine mentioned that at some point this year, there will likely be the selling of the 200,000th cookie ever sold at Festival of Trees.
To hear Tommy B’s entire interview with Jim, Pat, and Elaine, please go to https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/big-show-bites-podcast/
