Archives

Dunn Tire retail locations across New York and northwestern Pennsylvania are fundraising for pediatric care.

From May 1 to 31, Dunn Tire customers will be asked to donate $1 and add a personalized balloon to an in-store display.

The proceeds will be donated to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. These hospitals provide care for sick children without regard to insurance coverage. In Erie, the participating hospital is the  St. Vincent Health Center.

“Each and every donation counts” said Chuck Haring, director of  marketing and advertising for Dunn Tire, in a news release. “One visit to these hospitals makes you understand the enormity of their importance. This is a great organization, and people who donate should take comfort in knowing that all of the money raised goes directly towards helping children in their local community.”

To donate, visit local Dunn Tire stores at 2202 Broad St., 4222 Peach St. or 2419 W. 12th St.

Photo by Jack Hanrahan/ Erie Times-News.

Like the Erie Philharmonic, the Erie Playhouse depends on volunteers to help their performances go off without a hitch.

Have a stunning voice? Play an instrument? Enjoy fundraising? All of those skills can be put to use at the Erie Playhouse.

In fact, on its website, the Erie Playhouse calls volunteers the “backbone” of their operation.

Here’s how you can get involved:

Take the stage

Auditions for Erie Playhouse productions are usually four to six weeks before opening night. Check out Showcase for current listings.

Play a tune

Musicians are encouraged to try out for the playhouse’s pit band. According to the Erie Playhouse website, “the volunteer pit musicians have played everything from Gershwin to Sondheim as well as Hammerstein, Elton John, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Bernstein, Menken, Yeston and many others.”

If you are interested in lending your musical talents, call 814-454-2852, ext. 6 or e-mail Andrew.

Usher in patrons

The Erie Playhouse says that ushering is their most popular volunteer opportunity. Ushers seat patrons, collect tickets and sell 50/50 raffle tickets.

Ushers are needed for Mainstage productions, concerts and special events.

If you are interested in ushering at the Playhouse, email or call 814-454-2852 ext. 0.

Volunteer behind the scenes

“The Wing,” as the playhouse calls it, is a group of volunteers who work to  support the playhouse. Their tasks range from fundraising to selling gifts to operating the concession stand.

Members of the Wing meet the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Erie Playhouse.

To join the Wing, contact Danielle Dickson, Wing President, or visit the box office.

Join the board

The Erie Playhouse Board of Directors is actively looking for new members. Board members use their professional skills to help advance this nonprofit.

The Erie Playhouse prefers potential board members to have experience in one of these fields: Legal, accounting, marketing, strategic planning, financial, human resource, community relations or production-related experience.

A board position requires a 5 to 10 hour monthly commitment. Board members serve three-year terms.

To apply, fill out this online form.

Whatever your skillset, the Erie Playhouse will find a way to put it to use.

—

I’m always looking for more volunteer opportunities to feature on Volunteer Erie. Let me know about your organization at catherine.cloutier@timesnews.com.

Volunteer at the Erie Philharmonic and get free access to concerts. What a deal.

The cultural treasure in the heart of Erie’s downtown is looking for volunteers to fulfill number of roles (some with the perk of free admission.)

Here’s how you can get involved:

Usher in patrons

Concert ushers provide customer service to the audience at the Erie Philharmonic. Volunteers are needed for the weekly Saturday concerts. The reward: free access to the music.

Raise money

Fundraising volunteers plan and run events. The Erie Philharmonic asks that they be detail-oriented, creative and results-driven.

Help out at the office

Someone’s got to do the mailing, filing, phone calls, etc. Do you like that kind of stuff? You can make a volunteer commitment or lend your time as needed.

The Erie Philharmonic encourages anyone with a skill to share to contact Brittany Hall at 814-455-1375 ext. 10 or bhall@eriephil.org.

The newest fitness craze meets nonprofit fundraising. Hundreds of Erie residents are expected to attend a “zumbathon” in support of ALS research.

Best Fitness, located at 2147 W. 12th St., is hosting the United We Dance to Cure ALS Zumbathon on March 31.

Proceeds will go to MDA’s Augie’s Quest, a non-profit research initiative dedicated to finding treatments and cures for ALS.

The event will kick off at 8 a.m. with an open house and breakfast. Then, participants will hit the dance floor from 9 a.m. to noon.

Throughout the zumbathon, families affected by ALS will share their stories to raise awareness for the cause.

The fundraiser is open to the public, and there will be free refreshments.

So raise some money, put on your dancing shoes and head to Best Fitness to move that body for ALS. It’ll add some spice–and altruism–to your normal workout routine.

Connecting Hands is hosting a garage sale on Friday and Saturday to benefit the Mercy Center for Women.

The garage sale will feature quality furniture, housewares, toys and jewelry.

Connecting Hands is a group of local volunteers who support area nonprofits through garage sale fundraisers.

The proceeds from the garage sale will go to the women and children of the Mercy Center for Women.

The sale is located at Connecto Electric, 3716 McClelland St. in Erie. It will be open from 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information, visit the Connecting Hands Facebook page.

The March of Dimes is recruiting volunteers for its annual March for Babies.

The event will be held on April 29 at Presque Isle State Park.

Proceeds from the march will be used to fund research and community services that help pregnant women and premature babies.

The March of Dimes reported that in the United States, one in eight babies is born too early or too small. That’s over 500,000 babies each year.

If you are interested in volunteering at the march, contact Barb Kulisek at 833-4941.

For those interested in forming a team and raising money, contact Christine Bowen at 240-2872.

The Alzheimer’s Association is kicking off their annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Monday.

The event, held in the Blasco Library’s Admiral Room from 5 to 6:30 p.m., will include a promotional video, speeches from past team captains and the launch of a new fundraising website.

Participants can pick up their team captain kits at the kick-off.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place on Sep. 22 at Liberty Park in Erie.

For more information, contact the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org/pa or (814) 456-9200.

"Ophelia" by John William Waterhouse.

In the play Hamlet, the character Ophelia meets her fate in the shallow waters of a brook, the victim of depression and a broken heart.

Taking its name from the Shakespearean tragedy’s maiden, the national Ophelia Project, which is headquartered in Erie,  seeks to curbing bullying and in particular, relational aggression in children and adolescents.

For 10 years, the Ophelia Project has worked in Erie schools and after-school programs to provide students with the skills needed to counter bullying.

Their efforts wouldn’t be possible without the help of volunteers. Last year, local volunteers donated 20,000 hours to the Ophelia Project in a variety of roles.

Mentor

The Ophelia Project is looking for volunteers of all ages for its mentorship programs.

The STAR program at the 10th and Holland Neighborhood Arthouse need volunteer mentors each Thursday at 3:30 p.m through May. The classes last one hour. Mentors can make a weekly or biweekly commitment.

The Girltalk program seeks strong, positive female mentors of all ages.

Lastly, Raps mentors are needed to volunteer at Diehl and Jefferson schools through June 1. Raps mentors should be college age or young adults.

Help out at events

The Ophelia Project is partnering with the Erie chapter of Mothers Against Teen Violence to host a Peaceful Solutions Workshop at the Henderson Methodist Church on East 10th Street on April 21 as part of Global Youth Service Day. Volunteers are needed to help run the workshop.

Another upcoming event is the project’s Strike Out Against Suicide and Bullying fundraiser, which will be held on April 15. Volunteers are asked to sell tickets in advance, work the event or even just gather a team and participate. The Ophelia Project is currently accepting prize donations.

More opportunities

Can’t commit to a mentoring or event volunteer position? The Ophelia Project is always looking for people to work in their offices doing clerical and cleaning work.

Donations of snacks for the after-school programs, A.C. Moore gift cards for program supplies and stickers are needed as well.

Why volunteer?

Lora Caldwell, volunteer services manager at the Ophelia Project answers that question with the story of her father.

Then 86 years old, he participated in the Take Back the City event several years ago by taking up a broom and sweeping Perry Square.

“Passersby said, ‘If this 86 year-old man can do it, I can give back too,” said Caldwell.

The Ophelia Project gives volunteers the unique experience of working closely with children and adolescents.

“You’re making a connection,” said Caldwell. “And you’re giving back to the community during time usually spent on Facebook or watching TV.

“You’re contributing instead of just sitting around.”

To get involved, contact Caldwell at morningstar7@verizon.net.

Photo courtesy of Wikicommons