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Volunteer managers busy keeping
our work afloat
By Jon Mischo
One day last month, bicycles and kayaks had something pretty fantastic
in common: Chicagoland Bicycle Federation staff and volunteers.
For a lot of Chicagoland Bicycle Federation members, sunshine and
70-degree weather on a Saturday morning in the middle of October
are good enough excuses to hop on their bikes. But on this morning,
20 souls braved a ride to Kayak
Chicago on Magnolia Avenue and were rewarded with three hours
of paddling on the Chicago
River.
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| Volunteer manager Roland Hayes navigates the
Chicago River by kayak. |
Our three-hour journey took us past Goose Island
(both the island itself and the brew pub), down to Wacker Drive,
and then back up the east side of Goose Island. Along the way, we
dodged tour boats, the Chicago Police Department’s Marine
Patrol, sailboats, and vicious vampire ducks. Despite a few near
misses with waterfowl, pilings from the wooden bridges of yesteryear,
and riding the wake of the tour boats, no one landed in the drink
on our trip.
Although playing “bumper cars” with kayaks on the Chicago
River was an adventure, one of the highlights was seeing the bridge
openings from a new perspective. Even if you’ve been on a
sailboat or powerboat on the river and witnessed a bridge opening,
it can’t quite compare to the experience of dodging 30-foot
sailboats in your six-foot kayak and watching them all rush to get
through the open bridge before time runs out.
By now you may be wondering how you can participate in events like
this one. The answer is simple: become a volunteer manager for the
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.
Volunteer managers help plan and execute major events such as Bike
the Drive and the Boulevard
Lakefront Tour. They help support the organization’s efforts
in areas like marketing and membership. If you’re passionate
about bicycling, making the world a better place, or work in a particular
area of expertise, becoming a volunteer manager is a great way to
have fun and meet people who share your passion.
Jon Mischo is a volunteer manager who sits on the Marketing,
Event Strategy, and Route committees.
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