Why I Volunteer
By Reya Kempley and Lauren Phillips
A Tale of Two Volunteers: Two Rifl e Athletes Try Out Volunteering at the IPC Shooting World Cup
Reya Kempley Have you ever seen what goes on behind the scenes of a major shooting competi- tion, or are you the one show- ing up to pull the trigger? As shooting competitors, Lau- ren Phillips and I had the opportunity to help out at
WKH ODVW VKRW LV À UHG IRU WKH day. I even remember won- dering how much the range RIÀ FHUV ZHUH SDLG ZKHQ , was a junior!
My assignment was as a PHWHU UDQJH RIÀ FHU Á RDW
ing helper, which meant vir- tually nonstop duties most
25 meters and 10 meters, as well as the awards cere- monies following the Finals. Lauren found her niche as a fabulous Finals announcer, adding personality and a competitor’s background to her commentary for specta- tors and competitors alike.
done for the day, which was often close to dinnertime, we ran errands to purchase YDULRXV RIÀ FH DQG UDQJH supplies so we would be pre- pared for the following day. This included everything from routine items such as printer ink and coffee (which wasn’t ever strong enough for the Brazilians) to the
Lauren (foreground) and Reya (second from left) selfi e with IPC Shooting offi cials at the World Cup.
unexpected craft project re- quiring ten yards of pleather and spray upholstery glue for a last-minute awards backdrop overhaul! While many of the staff
the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Cup in November held at Fort Benning, Georgia. It gave us a new perspective on the amount of work, dedication and knowledge our volun- teers bring to the range. Fo- cusing on their small block of time for a match, competi- tors often don’t think about the time and organization it took to prepare the range for our arrival, or the work involved in cleaning up after
days. Targets had to be set up in the morning before WKH À UVW PDWFK EHJDQ DQG stowed for the night after DOO À ULQJ ZDV GRQH 'XULQJ competitions, we had to be alert and observant for safe- ty and fairness. Between matches, we changed target faces between pistol and ULÁ H UHSODFHG UXEEHU DQG tidied the range for the next match. The Finals hall had to be changed over for dif- ferent events at 50 meters,
26 USA Shooting News | March 2016
She also helped with various tasks anywhere help was needed around the ranges and added some fun and music to the awards ceremo- nies. We worked alongside not only our own American volunteers, but also Brazil- ians who are preparing for their duties at the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio and international jury members from the U.S., France, Neth- erlands, Britain and else- where. After range work was
VSHQW WKHLU À UVW IHZ HYHQLQJV in class to obtain their Inter- national Paralympic Com- PLWWHH ,3& MXGJHV FHUWLÀ FD tion, the rest of us relaxed at Ray Cormier’s tailgate in the hotel parking lot. Ray is not only 50 meter range of- À FHU H[WUDRUGLQDLUH EXW DOVR 86$ 6KRRWLQJ·V XQRIÀ FLDO 6R cial Director. The hotel staff even marks off three spaces for him with a “Reserved for Ray” sign! [pictured] The in- ternational staff joined in as well, where conversation often drifted to Portuguese lessons from our new Bra- zilian friends. One night we
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