Volunteer Opportunities for the Community Bike Ride

The second annual Arlington Community Bike Ride is quickly approaching. The Saturday, May 27th event showcases Arlington County's wonderful and growing bike facilities with the W&OD, Custis, and Mt. Vernon Trails, along with bike lanes.

Volunteers are needed for the event. We need your help making this event go off without a hitch. Help us help participants explore and learn all that Arlington County has to offer cyclists. To volunteer for the event please contact Jeff Peel at Jeff@waba.org or call the WABA office at (202) 518-0524. A list of volunteer opportunities is below:

Roving Marshals:

One of the more exciting volunteer roles, but also probably the most work! While you do actually get to ride the course with participants, you also have the responsibility of being the eyes, ears, and voice of Ride organizers. Roving Marshals generally ride the route start to finish, identifying themselves with a bright orange "Marshal" or "Captain" vest. Roving marshals must ride in a safe, predictable manner, and encourage other participants to do the same. The roving marshals also must identify problems with riders or the route. For example, if a location marshal or police officer has abandoned a sticky intersection, or if an accident occurs in route, roving marshals must communicate these and other issues with their Marshal Captain at the start area in order for appropriate and timely action to be taken.

Similarly, if a rider becomes too winded to finish a ride, or has a mechanical failure, Roving Marshals should contact the SAG vehicle with the participants name and registration number so that they may be picked up and transported back to the start area.

Location Marshals:

Location marshals serve one of the most vital roles in any ride. The locations that need marshals are often potentially confusing or hazardous. Participants lost in the fun of the ride can easily miss important turns or directional changes in a given route, and it is important to have marshals to make sure people do not stray off of course. Also, while riding with a group without car traffic or on a multi-use path, riders sometimes get lulled into a false sense of security, and will often enter into roadways or intersections without checking to make sure it is safe.

Location Marshals at strategic intersections help to alert and advise riders to these potential hazards. Much like Roving Marshals, Location Marshals are there to report downed riders or accidents to ride leaders at the start area.

Registration Area Volunteers:

Volunteers at the registration area are the first people many participants encounter at events. While the act of registration is fairly straightforward and simple, volunteers should be made aware of other aspects of the Ride in order to be able to answer the questions that will inevitably be asked, or at least be able to identify and direct participants to someone who can help. Registration volunteers are often there before others, but finish their assignments first, freeing up their time at the event to either participate, or to even volunteer in other areas!

Rest Stop Volunteers:

Though not a requirement, often rest stop volunteers work as a pre-arranged group. Rest stops serve as a wonderful way for groups, clubs, or organizations to be active and visible in their community. Rest stops are located intermittently throughout the Rde, and give participants a chance to rest, regroup with friends or communicate with event staff/volunteers if necessary. Volunteers at these stops are there to hand out provided refreshments, answer questions that participants may have, communicate problems with staff at the start area and most importantly, have fun!

Set-up/Clean-up Volunteers:

If you like to be behind the scenes, yet still help pull off large events, then this is the job for you. Set-up begins early in the morning with laying out the registration area, dropping off supplies to rest stops, constructing and arranging the stage, and a whole list of small items that if taken care of, really make the day go off without a hitch. All of this is usually done before a seemingly thankless task. With participants long gone, breaking down the stage and picking up garbage is often done with little fanfare or glory, with the exception of WABA staff and crew. After weeks, or often months, of preparation for an event, and at the end of a long day, clean-up volunteers are our saviors and hold special places in our hearts. Clean-up volunteers are also able to participate in the event, since their help is needed when everyone is finished.

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