Every summer, on the last weekend of July, the Casco village green in my hometown in Maine comes alive. It’s Casco Days, and hundreds of volunteers are bustling around as they care for thousands of happy children of all ages. The Ferris wheel churns. The merry-go-round spins. Quarters are tossed. Stuffed animals are won. Cotton candy is bagged. Smiles are shared. It’s an amazing community experience—and it’s all volunteer-led.
Casco Days operates Thursday night, Friday night, and all day Saturday, once a year. Then all the rides, games, and concessions are put away for another 362 days until they are brought back to life the following year. Our nonprofit organization owns its equipment and fully staffs the weekend experience. In total, over 250 volunteers give their time in wonderful ways.
One of my favorite sayings is I’m sure you can prove that’s right. Take, for example, the following statements:
Community isn’t what it used to be.
I’m sure you can prove that’s right.
No one wants to volunteer anymore.
I’m sure you can also prove that’s right.
But here’s my experience: A deep sense of community caring is still alive and well.
Almost everyone, if asked correctly, for the right cause, will help.
My role at Casco Days is to manage the midway, consisting of eighteen carnival games. Each year I buy a full tractor-trailer load of stuffed animals, carefully selecting each prize group to fit its specifically themed game. When summer arrives, I begin recruiting volunteers. Each game takes at least 2 volunteers, and there are 4 shifts required to complete the weekend, so that’s 144 people needed to staff the midway. Somehow it’s easy to fill the schedule with volunteers! Almost everyone I ask says yes; in fact, many of the volunteers have run their particular game for years, sometimes even decades.
What we see in this world determines what we do, and what we do determines what we get.
I see a world filled with remarkable humans who are highly committed to something bigger than themselves—including helping to make Casco Days successful every July!
