Chinga preparations
Chingawassa Days is less than three weeks away. For organizers, the date A) can't get here soon enough, and B) is arriving way too quickly.
It's a good time to mention a few tips and requests to help make Chingawassa Days more beneficial for everyone:
1. VOLUNTEER. Chris Costello is the volunteer organizer this year. There are needs in various areas, particularly in checking buttons as people enter the park, and helping sell souvenirs. Other needs exist, too. The more volunteers we have, the shorter shifts people have to work. So give him a call and get on his list.
2. SPEAK UP, PART I. Each year, we hear some compliments and complaints. Both are important. We do ask that the comments be constructive. Telling us the entire event should be free doesn't give us much to work with. But it's a huge help to hear you liked a particular type of entertainment, or that you would rather find something else. We don't always act on these comments (usually because someone else has suggested the exact opposite), but we take them seriously.
3. SPEAK UP, PART II. The more people who buy buttons, the more successful this and future Chingawassa Days events will be. Invite friends and family members to come. If somebody grumps about "nothing to do" around here, remind them of the festival. Suggest they go to one of the helpful businesses selling buttons, pick one up, and spend the whole weekend in Marion, getting a good deal.
4. SUNSCREEN, ETC. Wear sunscreen and a hat. You'll need them, since it won't rain that weekend. And if it does, the storm will move through quickly. We hope. (This past week, full of rain, tornado warnings, and unseasonably cold weather hasn't helped festival planners sleep through the night.)
5. LISTEN. Wichita radio station 104.5 The Fox, a classic rock radio station, has been promoting Chingawassa Days quite heavily. They give away buttons and 38 Special merchandise, most often during the morning show. People in Marion are as eligible to win as anybody else.
6. THANKS. Again this year, a crew of individuals needing to complete court-ordered community service hours will work throughout the weekend. They set up benches, move hay bales, and pick up trash. It's a way they can make restitution to the community as a whole. Their participation goes a long way to make the festival a success.
— MATT NEWHOUSE
