Volunteer Larry Krakowski poses on the red carpet - FWS photo by Denise Gilsrud

The lights were dimmed, the candles flickered, the applause went wild, and the tornado siren went off as the stars of Minnesota Valley NWR walked down the red carpet, and in to the tornado shelter! 

Although the funnel clouds hovering over Bloomington were not a welcome addition to the evening, the staff and “star” volunteers had a great time at the annual volunteer appreciation banquet on September 20^th.  

The evening kicked off with a walk down the red carpet, with paparazzi pestering each star with their cameras.  A movie-inspired meal of gourmet hot dogs was served after the tornado scare, and the awards ceremony included custom-crafted chocolate Oscars and other goodies such as hats, shirts, and books for each volunteer. 

The volunteer of the year award was presented to Julaine Zeier, who has accumulated over 270 hours in 2007 alone.  She works at the information desk every Thursday and also gives presentations for groups as needed.  Great job Julaine!

After the ceremony the stars were treated to popcorn, candy, and a showing of “Over the Hedge” as a special treat.  They deserved it! In 2007 alone our volunteers provided us with about 6,000 hours of service, or the equivalent of nearly 3 FTE.  A special thank you to the staff who worked very hard to make this a perfect event, and an extra special thank you to all our volunteers.  We couldn’t do what we do without you!