Million Bulb Walk Volunteers

Dates

Saturday, November 19 – Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thank you for volunteering during the Million Bulb Walk. This exciting event gives everyone the chance to get up close and see the lights in the open air. A large part of its success is the work of volunteers, and we’re glad you want to give your time and talents to make the event successful.

See the Volunteer Schedule for the Million Bulb Walk
There are two shifts for volunteers, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM and 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.

Directions to the Garden

WHERE WE NEED HELP

There are three possible assignments for volunteers this year, directing traffic, checking for armbands, or helping people along the route.

ON THE NIGHT YOU VOLUNTEER

If you’re working the early shift, the closer you can arrive to 5:00 PM, the better. If you are working the later shift, the closer you can arrive to 6:30 PM, the better. Please remember that traffic is likely to be heavy on the weekend, and lines to get into the Garden may be long.

When you enter the Garden, if there are double lines going to Garden of Lights, get into the left lane. When you are stopped by the parking crew, tell them you are here to volunteer. You can drive your car through the parking lot and park next to the ticket house. After you park, please go directly to the ticket house.

Customers enter the Garden, go past the toll booth, past the Mermaid fountain and around to the back of the parking lot. They stop at the ticket house, where a staff person takes their admission and gives them armbands for everyone. After the ticket house, volunteers direct traffic so the cars park in the lot.

Volunteers will also be at the entrance to the lights at Rose Garden Bridge, making sure everyone walking through the lights has an armband. Children 2 and under are free and do not need armbands.

If there are enough volunteers, we will station two people on the route, making sure everyone is headed in the right direction.

Dress for the weather. There is some shelter available, and we try to rotate people in and out of the weather, but volunteers are outside almost all of the time. It is dark out there. Everyone wears the provided florescent vests when outside.

Restrooms: Keep in mind you are at least a two-minute walk away from the nearest restroom. The breezeway in the middle of the Visitors Center building stays unlocked, and you can use the restrooms in the education hallway. Enter the building and turn right. The restrooms are on your right about half way down the hall.

All Volunteers:

Be sure to sign in on the sign in sheet for that night so your hours will be credited. If you are working a double shift, you need to note that.
Put on a reflective vest before you start.
While you are out in public, no talking, texting, surfing, or tweeting on a phone. No ear buds, Bluetooth earpieces or earphones. This is for your own safety. If you must make a call, take a break and go in the ticket hut, your car, or the building.

BAD WEATHER POLICY:

If the weather is bad, the Norfolk Botanical Garden follows the City of Norfolk’s policy on closing. If the TV says the City of Norfolk is closed (NOT schools and NOT courts), then the Garden and Garden of Lights will be closed as well.

If the weather is bad on a holiday or weekend, and you are not sure whether or not to come in, you can call the front desk at 441-5830 ext. to see if the Garden is closed. If you get voice mail, listen to the message.

Of course, if you cannot come in safely, you can call the security cell phone (757-714-5830) or the front desk (757-441-5830 ext. 324) or my phone (757-441-5830 ext. 327) and have one of us inform the supervisor for that night that you will not be coming in.

Ray Davis is the supervisor for all the nights of the Million Bulb Walk.

If you have any questions, call me at 757-441-5830 Ext. 327 or email me at volunteer@nbgs.org.

Thank you!

Debra Burrell
Certified in Volunteer Administration
Volunteer Services Manager
757-441-5830 Ext. 327
volunteer@nbgs.org