Spokane, WA—As many as 800 Bloomsday volunteers are expected tonight at the Mukogawa Ft. Wright Commons for the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. The gathering, which begins at 5:30, is an opportunity to recognize the tremendous volunteer effort responsible for the successful conduct of the 29th running of the Lilac Bloomsday Run on May 1.
“It would be impossible to have Bloomsday without the volunteer support we enjoy every year,” said Lilac Bloomsday Association President Al Odenthal. “From data entry to bag stuffing to number distribution to water aid to medical aid to results processing, it takes over 5,000 volunteers to make Bloomsday happen.”
Tonight’s dinner will also be an opportunity to recognize the winners of Bloomsday’s Spirit Award and Volunteer of the Year. The Spirit Award recognizes people who consistently display a helpful and upbeat attitude about the event, like this year’s winners, Joan Pribnow and Curt Kinghorn. The Volunteer of the Year Award—which this year went to Bloomsday registration’s “Night Supervisor” Eileen Murphy—recognizes one or two individuals each year who have been steadfast and exceptional volunteers.
Those in attendance at the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner will have a chance to win a variety of prizes in a random drawing, including airfare and lodging for two at the Red Lion Hotel in downtown Seattle. Group photos are also available courtesy of RacePhotos, Bloomsday’s official photographers.
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