As the Tour of Alberta creeps ever closer, so does the deadline for volunteers to submit their registration forms.
So far, 66 people have signed up to lend a hand while the professional bike race is in Jasper National Park. Those folks have filled 123 of the available volunteer slots, leaving 230 vacant.
“That can diminish really quickly,” said Trina Mickelsen, Jasper’s volunteer coordinator for the event. That’s because people are given the opportunity to sign up for up to three volunteer shifts while the race is in Jasper.
“So if you divide 230 by three, we only need 76 more volunteers.”
Volunteer opportunities include everything from working as a parking monitor to working as a course marshal, ensuring the safety of the professional cyclists, as well as spectators, pedestrians and motorists.
There are also positions that put volunteers right alongside the riders, walking them to the anti-doping control station or transporting the teams to and from the airport.
The registration deadline for volunteers is Aug. 22. For anyone on the fence, or interested in learning more, Jasper’s local organizing committee has a volunteer orientation night that will take place at the Crimson Jasper Aug. 19. The orientation will take an hour and a half, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The Tour of Alberta is a professional bike race that attracts the same cyclists that compete in the Tour de France. The third annual event will be in Jasper Sept. 4 and 5.
The cyclists will enter Jasper National Park on Highway 16 the afternoon of Sept. 4 and pedal up to the Miette Hot Springs. The following day, they will compete in Stage 4 of the race, completing three laps around the Athabasca Falls Loop before climbing up Marmot Basin Road.
Over the course of the weekend, Jasper will host four festivals.
The first will be at the Miette Hot Springs finish line on Sept. 4. There will also be a concurrent event taking place that day on the information centre lawn, where people can gather around the jumbotron to watch the race and take part in activities, grab a bite to eat, hang out in the beer gardens and enjoy live music—including a performance by Scenic Route to Alaska.
The following day, as cyclists compete in Stage 4 of the race, there will be another festival in town, beginning in the morning and carrying through to the evening.
The jumbotron will remain on the information centre lawn throughout the day, broadcasting the race as the cyclists make their way up to the ski hill, allowing people to participate in town, in the case that they can’t make it up to Marmot Basin for the festival at the finish line.
Volunteers are needed for each of the festivals, whether it’s picking up garbage or running an activity or acting as a runner, helping wherever they’re needed.
Mickelsen said many of the volunteers that have already signed up are from out of town. She encouraged Jasperites to submit their registration forms, so they don’t miss out on the opportunity to be a part of the biggest event of the year.
“Volunteering in your community is the best way to give back.
“And this is such a huge event. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to get involved.”
To volunteer, fill out the application form at www.tourofalberta.com or attend the volunteer orientation on Aug. 19.
Questions can be sent to [email protected].
Volunteers must be 15 years of age or older.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
