IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Spring 2019 | Page 61

If the parade isn’t your thing, but you still want to be involved in the community, there are so many different ways in which you can. Volunteers make up the Brentwood Park Initiative, The Brentwood Historical Society, The Brentwood Baldwin Whitehall Shade Tree Commission, The Brentwood Athletic Association, The Brentwood Dukes – The Brentwood Volunteer Fire Department, I could keep going… I have been lucky to be a member of several of these organizations throughout the past 15 years and have met some wonderful people, like Julie McCarthy (whom I absolutely adore) who is a member of almost every single group I’ve mentioned – in fact, I don’t remember exactly how much money was raised, or how many hours I, along with a few of my friends that I had recruited to help between our games of backyard wiffle ball; but I knew that I was making a difference, I had a letter that said so – signed by Mark and Lou. – that is organized and funded by less than 10 volunteers? The Brentwood Fourth of July Committee meets the first Monday of each month at the Brentwood Library to plan not only the big day in July, but fundraising efforts year round – including the annual “Night at the Races” which will have just taken place when you’re reading this – if you weren’t there, I suggest you get tickets early next year, it was sold out a month in advance this year! The fireworks, which cost about $15,000 annually, are paid for by donation and fundraising. So are the many marching groups that participate in the parade. It costs roughly $25,000-$30,000 each year to make the parade happen and that doesn’t include the Police, Public Works, and Crossing Guards provided by the Borough. It takes a lot more than 10 of us on Parade day to move things smoothly, we have a great group of volunteers that show up hours before the 5K race even starts to help set up and marshal the participants in to the lineup. We can always use more help – You can come by a meeting on the first Monday of each month at the Library 7:00 back in the program room to volunteer to help out, or you can reach out through social media, or even send me an email, I will get you the information you need to get started. MAKE A DIFFERENCE a lot of us are members of several of these at a time because community involvement is part of who we are. If you’re new to the area, it is a great way to get to know so many wonderful Brentwood residents, if you’re a lifelong resident, it’s a great way to give back to your community and help keep these groups going. Volunteering really is about more than just putting in some hours to get credit for a school group or assignment, or doing your part while your children are in an organization, it’s about giving something that only you can give – you time. Most of these groups don’t ask for much time either – maybe an hour or two a month, a few extra hours on a weekend. We always see in movies or tv shows that involve time travel, someone saying “be careful what you do, the smallest change can have a significant impact to the present!”, yet we never think that the smallest change or effort today can have that same impact on the future. If you’ve never volunteered, now is a great time to start, a great way to spend more time with your Husband/Wife, Boyfriend/Girlfriend, Son/Daughter, etc… Encourage your children to get involved, you’ll be setting them up to have some incredible experiences and helping them to forge lifelong relationships with so many tremendous people. Oh, as a side note, I did finally get to meet Mark Malone and thank him for his contribution If you are looking to get involved in these or any other groups, or just looking for volunteer opportunities, please don’t hesitate to contact me [email protected] BRENTWOOD-BALDWIN-WHITEHALL ❘ SPRING 2019 59