The Quesnel River Rush is looking for volunteers for the upcoming hockey season.
The River Rush's business manager Hillary Sheering told the Observer they're excited to bring a Junior A team back to Quesnel and they're counting on community support to make it happen.
The team is looking for volunteers to help sell merchandise, take photos and work security along with a whole host of other opportunities. One of the volunteer positions the team hasn't filled yet is people to post live updates as games are happening.
"We're hoping to double (the volunteer pool) and it's not out of greed, we want people to sit and enjoy the game as well and not be at every one," Sheering said. "Basically every position we have we're looking for two or three more (volunteers)."
Sheering said they're hoping for 20 to 24 volunteers each game to make sure things run smoothly. One of their strategies is to involve the local high school.
Sheering said the team is looking for students who have an interest in photography or video to help broadcast the game and create content for the team's social media pages. She said students who have niches and the team would mutually benefit both because it gives students the experience and opportunity to learn while helping the team run its games.
"It's a great way to be involved, it's social, it's a great way to meet people, it's a great way to bond the community really well," Sheering said. "When you see a game running smoothly, it's really neat to see the people that put it together."
Volunteers will be invited to the arena before the season starts to run through what they will be doing on game days and ensure everything runs smoothly.
Sheering said the team is well organized and the volunteers will manage the four entrances at each game to allow people to get into the West Fraser Centre without having to wait in the cold. The list of volunteer positions includes security, broadcast, running the merchandise booth, beer garden and tickets, taking photos and video for social media, timekeeping, announcing and many more opportunities for folks to help the team and have some fun.
The team is also starting to look for around 15 homes for billet housing for its players. Billet houses offer homes to players from out of town who are on the team. People who host players will receive $625 per month to help cover costs of things like food and internet.
"Housing a billet player is essentially like taking on another child. They're between 16 and 20 years old, they're away from their parents and their familiar surroundings," Sheering said.
Sheering said it's been a great experience to bring Junior A hockey back to Quesnel.
"The city is excited and just the overwhelming response that I've gotten from phone calls to emails to messages on social media of people expressing their excitement keeps us going," Sheering said. She said it's a huge opportunity for Quesnel and its local hockey players whose futures may be shaped by getting involved with the team.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the River Rush this season can reach out to Sheering at hillary@quesnelriverrush.com or call her at 250-983-2926.
The River Rush's office is under construction and will be ready to go before the season starts, with the first exhibition game being held in September. Head coach Dale Hladun is leading the team, which was bought and brought back to Quesnel by local businessman Tracy Mero.