Why is being a volunteer at CORK so rewarding??

To answer this question, we have profiled Kathy Dyer (CORK Chief Judge) and Gary Howard (CORK Safety Chief).

What are their stories??

Kathy started racing J24s in the 1980s and has enjoyed participating in the sailing community in a variety of roles ever since.  In 1994, she became a club judge and in 2000 began concentrating her sailing focus to obtaining her ISAF International Judge certification.    Her first year at CORK was 2000, and she has only missed one year since her CORK debut!  She was appointed Deputy Chief Judge in 2005, and is now the Chief CORK Judge. 

Gary built his first rowboat at age 8 and has not left the water since!  He has enjoyed racing, cruising, and also built a 32 foot sailboat.  In 1996, Gary became introduced to volunteering at CORK when his daughter raced at YouthFest.   Over the years he has done race committee work- but safety has been his calling!  As a retired teacher, Gary has also enjoyed organizing the training programs to create more confident volunteers.

Now- what is it that these two really love about volunteering?

Kathy: “The best thing about CORK is the people – both sailors and volunteers. From a judge’s perspective, CORK offers many opportunities to learn and grow. The sheer size and busyness of the event is something that few will experience anywhere else. For many, CORK is the first time they will meet elite sailors, work with multiple classes on multiple race areas, and gain experience serving on an international jury. 

My favourite part of CORK is being at the jury desk after the sailors return to shore each day especially during the Optimist and Youth Fest events. I enjoy meeting the sailors, coaches and parents who come by to deliver a protest, ask questions about the rules or just say hi. Working with the younger sailors is such a joy and their enthusiasm for sailing is contagious and keeps me coming back every year. “ 

Gary: “Being involved with people from all over the world who come to Kingston to sail is an awesome experience.  The young and the old all try to do their best and the competition is fierce.  To be able to assist in making these regattas so successful is a reward in itself.  The Volvo Youths was a definite highlight and it was great to work with such dedicated volunteers from all around the globe. 

What really makes volunteering fun is the opportunity to work with such a great group of volunteers.  The social interaction and co-operation is great and even a bad day on the water is better than a day working in the office!!!!”

And guess what…volunteering can be real fun for teenagers too!  This is what Sierra, a new 2007 CORK recruit had to say:

“What makes CORK so much fun is the excitement you feed off of the competitors at the regattas. The competitors and staff of CORK are so fun to be around and everyone is so nice. This is my favourite thing to do in the summer, hard to believe being a teenager and all, you would think I would want to be out with my friends at parties and stuff, but I’d rather be at CORK where the weather is nice (most of the time) and the people you’re around are great. I've even got some of my friends wanting to join for volunteer work this year.”

Each year, hundreds of volunteers help out at CORK to make it an international success.  So….if you haven’t done so already, jump onboard the volunteer team for 2008….it will be a hoot! 

To find out more about the 2008 Events: http://www.cork.org/schedule.html

To register as a volunteer: http://www.cork.org/volappl.html