Margaret Eckerberg, a volunteer, and Melissa Turman, Horizon’s volunteer coordinator, love lending a helping hand. Both have helped coordinate and run other events in the community, and they look forward to doing what they can to help make the Horizon festival a big success.
IRENE NORTH
Nspire Today! Feature Writer
GERING – Volunteers are a big part of any major event around the world, and that will certainly be the case at the Horizon Christian Music Festival in Gering.
Melissa Turman, the festival’s volunteer coordinator, didn’t hesitate to say “yes” when she was asked if she would be willing to help organize the event.
“Serving is one of my passions and has brought so much joy to my life,” Turman said. “To be able to serve others in this way so they, too, can experience the blessing of serving seemed like a natural fit.”
Turman said she is honored to be part of the team that’s helping to organize the festival, all of whom are volunteering in their own way.
“This group is an incredibly talented and dedicated group of people who love the Lord and want to see the gospel and God’s kingdom advanced for His glory,” Turman said.
Margaret Eckerberg, team lead for the concession stand, is bringing her years of experience of running concession stands to the event. Eckerberg’s love of cooking and volunteering, as well as her experience, made it an easy decision for her to help out with the festival.
Eckerberg and her husband, Philip, have run the police officer’s stand at the Scotts Bluff County Fair for 18 years. They took over the booth, which raises money for law enforcement, after the people who had been doing it retired.
“They asked if we would take it over and we said ‘yes,’” Eckerberg said.
That experience was a factor in becoming the team lead for the concession stand at the festival. When the Eckerbergs volunteered to help, organizers asked if they had any experience.
“We both do, and I said we have been in charge of the police officer’s booth at the fair for the past 17 or 18 years,” she said. “I’ve got experience there and at the concessions at Gering High School.”
Eckerberg has countless additional hours cooking for others in whatever capacity she can. She is in charge of receptions and funeral dinners at her church, and on Wednesday night during Bible study, she is in charge of the meal being made. She has also made food for benefit meals to raise money.
“I’ll do whatever the event requests,” she said. “Whatever anyone wants, I’ll give it a try.”
During the Horizon Music Festival, the concession stand will have nachos, popcorn, and a variety of candy and drinks. Domino’s will also be providing pizza.
With the event being new, calculating exactly how much of everything will be needed can be stressful, but Eckerberg isn’t too worried about the outcome.
“The fortunate thing for us is we can buy candy,” she said. “If we have to, we can run to a store.”
The event has more than 200 three- to four-hour time slots to fill by volunteers. Turman said many volunteers fill more than one shift. Everyone who helps is appreciated.
“Thanks to the social media posts our marketing team has been posting and the help of local churches encouraging their congregations to volunteer, we have had a good number of people signed up,” Turman said. “But we need more.”
Volunteers who sign up will receive a free T-shirt and a meal.
“None of our volunteers know that yet, which is really encouraging and shows the overall motivation to sign up has been a true desire to serve,” Turman said.
With volunteers still in the process of signing up, specific jobs haven’t been assigned yet, but the kids’ games and activities area is in urgent need of people willing to sign up.
“We plan to offer bounce houses, a craft tent, penny carnival type games, and games for older youth, such as Gagaball,” Turman said.
For Turman, the most challenging aspect of being a volunteer coordinator centers around the Horizon Music Festival being in its first year. She has coordinated volunteers for other events, but this one is different.
“We’ve tried to be diligent in thinking through and planning many different aspects, but I know we will learn a lot this first year and be able to build off that for years to come,” Turman said.
One of the festival’s goals is to promote unity among the body of Christ, and serving is a great way to do this, Turman said.
“When we serve others, we lower ourselves and elevate them,” Turman said. “Serving is love in action – the love Christ calls us to as followers of Him.”
While many volunteers will be helping out in the concession stand in shifts, Eckerberg plans to be there the entire time to make sure everything is running smoothly.
“I like to know if everything is going as it should,” Eckerberg said. “And I like to be around if there are any problems I can help with.”
One of the benefits of volunteering at a concession stand is talking to a variety of people.
“It’s always fun to get to see the different people who come and get to know people you wouldn’t otherwise get to know,” Eckerberg said. “It’s also good to help out and do what you can when you can.”
Anyone who would like to sign up to volunteer can do so by visiting https://horizonmusicfest.org/volunteer/.
