Get Out and Live! Volunteer for a Community Event

May 20, 2015: Runners and volunteers gathered at 

Weber County Sports Complex to prepare for the big day.

Were you inspired by camaraderie and excitement of the Ogden Marathon but maybe a 26.2 mile run isn't for you? It's possible to catch that feeling by signing up to be a volunteer at one of the many events sponsored by GOAL (Get Out and LIVE!) in our community.

Kevin Burns has been a volunteer at GOAL Foundation for 11 years and claims it happened by accident. Burns was working for the Sheriff’s Office at the Ogden Marathon in 2004 and he says, “I just thought things could run a little smoother between the event organizer and public safety.”

When he offered to help out with event communication, he landed a spot on the GOAL Foundation Board. Burns used to compete in running events, but he decided that this was another great way to get involved.

As a part of his public safety liaison position, Burns’ role in the marathon this year was to help coordinate with public safety services at the event such as the fire department, EMS, police departments, and Utah Highway Patrol. His responsibility is to make the event as safe as possible. He says, “I just make sure we get all the right players for the table.”

Other volunteer duties included preparing water bottles for water stations and forming packets containing a runner’s guide, clothing bag, bib, and t-shirt. There were also volunteers who worked at every aid station, set up the course on Friday, put together the start and finish areas, and cleaned up after the event concluded.

Burns says that in a typical year there are 1,100 volunteers for the Ogden Marathon and that number remained about the same this year. The number of runners also remained about the same as previous years including roughly 2,500 running the full marathon, 4,500 running the half marathon, and 1,000 running the 5k. Other events individuals can get involved in are the 10k, a relay race, the Kid’s K and the Mayor's Walk. Burns says they maxed out capabilities for marathon this year. Bussing 10,000 runners to the start line at 5:00 a.m. Saturday was a significant task. “Logistically it’s about as many people as we can move,” Burns says, “We have about every bus we can find to get everyone up there.”

   

A big attraction to the marathon is the opportunity to run through Ogden Canyon. Runners have the entire west lane to run in so they don’t have to worry about being hit by a car. Burns says, “If you have not had a chance to be out of your vehicle in Ogden Canyon and look up or hear the river, it’s just cool to run down that canyon.”

The goal of the marathon is to draw the community together. The “GOAL” in GOAL Foundation stands for “Get Out and Live.” Burns feels that this phrase does not just apply to runners in the marathon as some might believe. There are other opportunities to get involved like volunteering, or simply being outdoors with people while being active.

To learn more information about GOAL and how to be a part of the team, visit http://www.getoutandlive.org/

Give Gardening a Try at Oasis Community Garden

Fresh, locally grown produce can be hard to come by, but the Oasis Community Garden in downtown Ogden aims to change that perception by offering an outlet to residents who want to try their hand at raising their own healthy food.

Prospective gardeners can reserve one of the 38 plots to create their own garden for $25. Or, if you don’t like weeding, you can pick from the small orchard, two herb gardens, and berry patches that are also open to the public. Interested individuals should visit the garden to get pamphlets on the bulletin board there or visit:  

http://juniorleagueogden.org/

https://www.facebook.com/jlo.oasis/

Oasis Community Garden was started about 10 years ago by the Junior League of Ogden. Though the garden is still considered a work in progress, dedicated volunteers strive to improve it. The Junior League of Ogden is also responsible for other health-minded events such as Dental Days, a way for underprivileged individuals to receive teeth cleaning.

Joanisa Tenreiro is the garden manager of Oasis Community Garden. She is originally from Florida and moved to Utah three years ago for the mountains and snow. She currently works at Waterfall Canyon Academy, an organization dedicated to serving the community’s youth population. She typically works in the garden for ten hours a week and is very passionate about it.

The purpose of the garden is to provide to community members access to healthy and affordable food. Irrigation drips are used so that gardeners don’t have to water their plot every day. People of all ages are encouraged to get involved, especially families looking for fun ways to involve their children in learning about and choosing healthy food.

“You can grow whatever you want, as long as it’s legal,” Joanisa says, listing squash, tomatoes, corn, radishes, carrots, and kale among the wide variety of vegetables commonly grown there.

Oasis Community Garden has some rules. First of all, chemicals and pesticides are not allowed as they are trying to keep the garden as organic as possible. She said these contaminate the soil and groundwater that supply the food. Gardeners must also keep their plot well maintained and weed free. Dogs and other pets should be kept on leashes.

Other events also take place at the garden. There are workshops on the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m.. Individuals can learn about such topics as permaculture, which Joanisa describes as “how to garden in sync with the earth.” In August, the Oasis Summer Nights concert series takes place each Thursday at 6 p.m., and also features a mini farmer’s market and live music. There are volunteer days for individuals to help work at the garden.

In order to better serve the community, Oasis Community Garden members are working to create raised beds for elderly and disabled individuals. The project has been started by installing black poles (pictured) on the property and they hope to complete it as soon as possible.

Joanisa says the biggest benefit of the garden is for people who might not have access to land can get it at Oasis to grow healthy food. She truly believes gardening is not only good for health in a nutrition sense, but it is good for the soul.

“It is a great way to have a connection with the earth, get your hands in the soil, and get dirty,” she says.

Joanisa herself was once afraid to garden as she didn’t want to kill a plant. Over time and a lot of hands-on practice, she overcame her fear and realized that killing a plant is just part of the cycle and it can become compost for other plants to grow.

 “It’s okay to fail sometimes, just pick yourself up and learn,” she says.