Volunteer power(-ed)
Volunteers Phil Smith and Beth Coulson are pictured with our teens during their sailing adventure.
“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.”
– Dr. Syed Muhammad Zeeshan Hussain Almashhadi
This quote is one I think of often. So much of our work is propelled by dedicated volunteers, from board leadership and advisors to program and Paddlefest support (more than 300 volunteers turn out each year for Paddlefest alone!).
This month, I wanted to highlight three extraordinary individuals who have helped shape our Adventure Crew community through their volunteer efforts. This summer, each has shared their time, expertise and resources to make spectacular new experiences happen for the teens in our summer camps.
Volunteer Larry Falkin.
Larry Falkin has long been a leader in sustainability in our region. He’s also an avid paddler and a regular program volunteer year-round, dedicating many, many hours to make sure our teens are safe and supported in their outdoor adventuring.
When we encountered a last-minute challenge securing and transporting canoes for our summer camp teens to learn intermediate canoe paddling and rescue skills, Larry quickly connected us to Rivers Unlimited. That organization kindly not only provided the canoes, but they became part of the team of expert instructors as well. The following week, in his role as a board member of the Mill Creek Alliance, Larry ensured our teens had yet another new and unique canoe experience, paddling canoes on the upper Mill Creek as they learned about water ecology.
Volunteer Steve Nurre provided SUP instruction.
Pondering stand-up paddleboard instruction as a new summer camp offering this year, we immediately knew who to turn to. For the Paddlefest loyalists out there, you’ll know Steve Nurre as the voice of celebration and encouragement as paddlers reach the 9-mile finish line. Steve has also shared his passion for the outdoors volunteering for many of our Saturday Explorer program outings, and now he is crowned our first-ever SUP instructor! Steve provided his own fleet of stand-up paddleboards, paddles and life vests so our kids could have one of their most popular summer experiences yet, learning to paddle and maneuver stand-up paddleboards at East Fork Lake.
Phil Smith joined our program volunteer team in 2023. Last month, he helped us reach another first – sailing! Phil very generously offered his 17’ Hobie Getaway catamaran to give the teens this rare opportunity for our area. It was the first time sailing for all, and students got to learn some fundamentals of the sport. Phil, along with longtime Adventure Crew volunteer Beth Coulson, took the newly minted sailors out in shifts on Caesar Creek Lake, with rave reviews from all.
Our teens’ highlights from these experiences say it best of all:
“After, I honestly felt confident with everything.”
“Letting go and just trusting the people around me who want me to have fun.”
“Trapezing on the sailboat and flipping my kayak and canoe also paddle boarding [were favorites].”
Big cheers and boundless gratitude to Larry, Steve and Phil (and Beth!) — and to all our indomitable Adventure Crew volunteers — for sharing your love of the outdoors and making new and exhilarating experiences possible for the Crew kids!
We would also like to thank the Woodward Trust, Greater Cincinnati Foundation and the Johnson Foundation for their support of our summer camps this year.
Follow these links if you’d like to get involved as a program or Paddlefest volunteer.