If there is one thing about being a volunteer at this week’s NJCAA Division II Mens’ National Basketball Tournament in Danville – it’s that you have to be fast. The hundreds of slots fill quickly after the call goes out requesting volunteers.
Jeanie Cooke, Director of the Danville Visitors Bureau, explains some of the things that volunteers do…
{AUDIO: ”Everything from take tickets to help in the hospitality room where we serve meals thanks to our wonderful restaurants and caterers here in town. It can be anything from emptying trash cans to finding someone who is looking for someone in the gymnasium. From things that little to providing our talented people with entertainment.}
{Volunteers Cindy Jones and Nancy Cook help Monday as the tournament prepares to begin.}
Cooke adds some of the volunteers serve as team hosts….
{AUDIO: ”People who are showing them around our wonderful town, and taking care of anything they might need and need access to. And that’s a real strong point because I was in the front hallway preparing today, and there were a few coaches and a couple came through and here came their host – and they were so excited to see them. They had been a host several years ago for that team.”}
This week’s National Tournament is having a huge impact on the community, according to Cooke….
{AUDIO: ”You can’t beat word-of-mouth. You can’t beat people that may have never been at the college – getting a visual and seeing what we do here. For the visitors and the income that comes in, we have every hotel full for literally a week. We have teams and parents going out to our restaurants and experiencing our town.”}
In addition to the volunteers, dozens of local and area businesses step-up during the tournament providing free food for a hospitality room….
{AUDIO: ”Bless them all. And I just happened to be walking through the office and I heard our staff talking to someone – and we hadn’t called them yet. And they’re calling us to see what they can bring and what they can do. And that’s the way the community is. We have signs all over town – yard signs in people’s neighborhoods and in businesses. So it’s very inclusive of the entire town.”}
The games of the 16-team tournament are being played Tuesday through Saturday on the Dick Shockey Court at Danville Area Community College.
>>>> CLICK ON THE SPORTS TAB AT Vermilioncountyfirst.com to follow the action this week. <<<<
