2010 Lake Placid Ironman Seeks Volunteers

The 2010 Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon is seeking volunteers for the July 25, 2010 race. About 2,000 athletes and nearly 4,000 volunteers take part in what organizers say is Placid's largest one-day annual event, generating "a direct economic impact of about $8 million for Essex County." "In addition to the days surrounding the actual race," a recent press release extolled, "a large number of the participants make multiple pre-race visits in preparation for the event, greatly enhancing the overall revenue generated." Kathy Pfohl, volunteer director, says that two-thirds of the volunteers are from outside the region.

There is a tiered management system in place in order to organize the large numbers of volunteers. As volunteer director, Pfohl is responsible for overseeing the entire volunteer effort (as part of her job at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism or ROOST). There are approximately 80 captains who manage their respective “team” of volunteers, which can number from one to 200 individuals. Each captain is responsible for the coordination of the schedules, locations and communication with their team of volunteers, to ensure that they are in their places on race day.

For 2010, there are several captain positions open. "Captains enjoy a number of perks, including the opportunity to earn a monetary donation of $750 for their qualifying group from the Community Fund," according to the press release.

Those interested in a captain’s position and/or the Community Fund should contact Kathy Pfohl at kpfohl@lakeplacid.com or at the ROOST office at 523.2445 x110. Online registration for all volunteer positions is located at www.ironmanlakeplacid.com.