Volunteering at the KC Marathon

Had a blast volunteering at the KC Marathon yesterday!

Worked as a course monitor which involved keeping traffic off the course so participants had a safe race.   We worked at the intersections KCPD didn't have officers to work at.  Generally officers will work the busier intersections and volunteers will monitor the less busy intersections.  Officers did check in with us periodically and we knew if we had a problem there was help a short distance away.

I was assigned the intersection at 17th and Main.  For the most part people were cooperative.  During one point in the race I had to cross the street and cut through a large group of runners to keep a guy from plowing on to Main Street.  He was a jerk but once I explained to him how he could get around the race and to his destination he calmed down.   It was a hair raising moment for a minute though as he had edged his way on to Main Street just a bit.  I got him turned around before it became an issue though.

After my intersection was clear and we were released by KCPD, I headed to the finish line to cheer for some friends.  Walked down to the corner right before the finish.  There were no volunteers there so a race official asked if I would help direct marathon runners to the right so they went in to the correct chute.  I didn't mind helping out since it still gave me an opportunity to see and cheer for friends.  When the kids run started I ended doing some crowd control so the kids and their parents didn't run in to the marathon runners.   Not sure why they had the kids run parallel to the marathon course but it wasn't the brightest idea.  The kids got out of their lane and in the marathoners way too many times.  Runners in the marathon were not happy and I can't say I blame them.  Could have caused some injuries.  Note to race organizers - if the kids run is going to run parallel to the marathon course have a barrier or many volunteers there so the kids can't cut in front of the marathon runners. Other than the kids run, I thought the race was pretty well run.

Got to say there's nothing quite like a thousand or more "thank yous" on a Saturday morning!  The runners were great!  Especially when I was dealing with the jerk who edged on to Main Street.  Got quite a few thank yous and claps for getting him turned around. 

I have to admit, I volunteered for purely selfish reasons... to get my motivation back to run!  It worked!  Got a nice easy 3 miles in yesterday and heading out soon for another easy run.  Not sure I'll run any more races this year but I will likely volunteer at one or 2 more before winter takes over.

It Only Takes A Moment

Someone sent this to me today and it touched me for a lot of reasons.  You never know when or how you might touch someones life.  To everyone who works in the service industry whether it be EMS, Fire, Healthcare, Law Enforcement, Military, Volunteering or the many other Service Professions... keep in mind every contact you make may not touch you, but that moment could make a huge difference in the persons life you touch!  Thank you for your service!


It Only Takes A Moment

It only takes a moment
to reach out to be a friend,
but to the one who needs you
the memory never ends.

A simple act of kindness
to a person you don't know
may plant a seed of friendship
that for them will always grow.

We sometimes lose perspective
of the difference we can make,
when we care more of our giving
and care less of what we take.

So remember that your actions
may help change a life someday.
Always think about the person
that you meet along the way.

For it only takes a moment
to reach out to be a friend,
but to the one who needs you
the memory never ends.

Next Volunteer Opportunity

My next volunteer gig is Course Monitor at the Kansas City Marathon next weekend...Saturday October 20, 2012. 

 



The race is held in Kansas City, MO so we (volunteers with the KC Marathon, the many local running clubs as well as local businesses) will be working with Kansas City Police Department to provide a safe course free of traffic for runners and walkers participating in the 5K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon, Marathon Relay and Kids Run.  Nearly 12,000 participants are expected!

It takes hundreds of volunteers to pull off a safe event this big.  If you would like to volunteer please follow this link:  http://www.waddellandreedkansascitymarathon.org/volunteers.php.  Volunteers will receive a long-sleeve event t-shirt along with free food and drinks at the Finish Line Festival as well as free entries into prize raffles, including Southwest Airline tickets.

I try to volunteer at one or more races a year to give back to the running community. Running has been part of my life since I was a kid in Junior High and decided track was a sport I wanted to try.  Running is a great stress reliever!   I was training for the Marine Corps Marathon to be held on October 28, 2012 but due to my unusual stress level this year I just haven't been putting in the appropriate training to successfully complete the marathon so I decided to defer it to next year.   (Training for a marathon is stressful in itself!)  By deferring my entry, I am guaranteed a spot in next year's race and have already put it on my calendar and mapped out my training plan so no excuses, next October a Marine will be putting a medal around my neck!   In the meantime, I thought volunteering at the KC Marathon might help get me motivated and out running again!  I'll follow up this blog entry with a report from that event. 

There are many volunteer opportunities available not only through Johnson County Sheriff's Office, but many organizations throughout the KC Metro Area.  Since the Johnson County Sheriff's Office Citizen's Academy has long been over for me, I will likely use this blog to continue to write about my volunteer adventures.  Keep checking back if you want to learn more about the many volunteer opportunities available and what adventure I get myself in to that relate to law enforcement or other opportunities. 

Volunteering at the Chiefs game...

Volunteered at the Chiefs game today. One of the volunteer opportunities available through the Red Cross is to staff First Aid stations at various community events such as Chiefs games. You have to have a health care background and be certified in FA & CPR to staff FA stations. Basically we assist fans with minor injuries and/or illnesses they experience in the parking lot before and after the game. We are available to assist fans during the game as needed but we aren't the primary providers inside.

Spent the 3 hours before the game driving a golf cart through the parking lot visiting with fans. Didn't get fed this time. Note to self: Look hungry next time! Fans get creative with their tailgating and are usually inviting us to join their party. It's always interesting volunteering at the game. Even had a KCPD cop cruising behind me in a golf cart at one point. Half expected lights to come on and to get pulled over! He laughed when I said I wasn't speeding. Never mind how many other traffic laws I might break while cruising thru the lot! :)

The perk of volunteering at the game is getting to go inside and watch the game. Now if the Chiefs would actually win one, geez!

Inside Arrowhead we don't have seats but rather stand in areas behind the seats. I tend to wander a bit to find locations that are easier for me to see. Because I wander I tend to be stopped and asked questions. Probably because I look somewhat official wearing 2 radios and an Id badge. Last game I ended up helping an 82 year old woman who had an accident in the restroom. I wouldn't have known she needed medical help if her grandson hadn't stopped me to ask for help finding her.

Some games are uneventful and I just hang out and chat with the security staff, cops and deputies working the game. KCPD and Jackson County Sheriffs Office work the Chiefs games. Today was pretty uneventful. Gave out a few bottles of water, declined to give a couple fans a ride (we aren't allowed to give fans a ride on the golf carts since they are only 2 seaters) and answered a few questions. The Deputies I was chatting with had to break up a skirmish between a chiefs fan and a bronco fan (why was a bronco fan at the chiefs-ravens game other than to cause trouble?). Otherwise it was a fairly quiet day, for me anyway...

Haven't signed up for another game yet but I'm pretty sure I will. Maybe the Chiefs will win one yet!

Donut anyone?

I was volunteering last weekend at Strutt with Your Mutt. It wasn't through JCSO but rather through Wayside Waifs. 

I was a course monitor which meant keeping traffic off the race route.   KCPD worked the course.   When this Officer pulled up to the intersection I was at he said, "Against my better judgement I'm going to ask... Would you like a donut?"  He laughed when I asked if I could take a pic!  I promised not to tag his name to the pic (I told him I was posting it to my facebook account, which I did as well as this blog.)   He was a hoot to chat with.  Volunteering is quite the adventure!  I never know who I'm going to meet or what new thing I'm going to learn...

 

 

Lessons Learned...

I started this blog to share my experience about going through the Citizens Academy. Little did I know this year would be such a challenging year. Attending the Citizens Academy helped give me a sense of routine when my routine was abruptly interrupted. I got a little off topic throughout the blog but that's okay. Life doesn't always go as planned, neither do blogs. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office Citizens Academy may be over (for my class) but my experiences are not...

It's been nearly 3 years since I first learned Johnson County has a Sheriffs Office. How did I learn JC has a Sheriffs Office? My bad habit of not renewing my car registration on time caught up with me. It's a little more complicated than that but nothing major and not what I want to blog about today.

What I do want to say is...  that mistake introduced me to Master Deputy Denise Baker of the JC Sheriffs Office which started a chain of events for me that helped change my life in a positive direction. It's hard to explain but how you treat people when they are going through an issue or difficult time can make the difference between that person continuing down a negative path or making a positive change in their life.

I was so surprised by how friendly and professional Deputy Baker was that I decided to tell someone about it. Little did I know the person I told knew Deputy Baker. Valerie laughed at my story which made it so much easier for me to then tell her what else was going on in my life. If you have someone in your life that you can say anything to without reservation, you know what I am talking about!  Who knows if Val and I would have become friends beyond teaching CPR together if I hadn't mentioned my interaction with Deputy Baker to her?

Valerie is a probation officer by profession. That would prove helpful to me. Not because I needed a PO, I've never been arrested so no need for a PO, but rather she has seen and heard things MUCH worse than my stupid mistakes. She let me vent when I really needed someone to just listen and not be judgmental. Plus she had tips for me that I may not have otherwise gotten. I don't know if I would have gone through Financial Peace University (FPU) if Val hadn't suggested it when I asked for advice dealing with an issue.

The final lesson in FPU made a huge impact on me. It was about giving... and thus a passion was found. Volunteering has been a blessing for me! There's a saying that you get back more than you give. I couldn't agree more! When I needed help after the fire I got more help than I could imagine possible. My family, friends, coworkers and fellow volunteers jumped in to action right away. I know I wouldn't have gotten through such a difficult event without everyone's help! Thank you doesn't even begin to cover it!!!

It has been 7 months since the fire. The nightmares have mostly passed. My stress level hasn't really decreased much though. I experienced a second fire less than 2 weeks after the first one.  I have also been involved in 2 car accidents (The night of the first fire someone hit my car and damaged the driver side door as well as the mirror. It was a hit and run so unfortunately the damage is on my dime. A month later, I hit a runner. He is okay but what a sickening feeling that was to hit someone.). And right about the time of the first fire a major event occurred at work. That event has impacted me both professionally (my job description has dramatically changed) and personally (the best boss and mentor I have ever had is no longer with the organization). I have found myself resorting back to some old habits to try and deal with the stress. That's the last thing I should be doing right now! Thankfully I was able to tap in to that positive resource that has been so valuable to me (Valerie) and she reminded me that things happen for a reason and God puts people in our life for a reason! (Thanks Val!)   Deputy Baker was introduced in to my life because I needed to make a change and wasn't going to do it until I had to. I have made so many positive changes in my life since that introduction. I now get my car registration done on time, I am making better choices relating to my finances and as I mention above, I volunteer!  I don't run in to Deputy Baker much anymore and that's okay.  I managed to renew my car registration on time this year without "seeing her at QT" being the excuse to get it done!  Not renewing my car registration on time was just one of the many things I needed to be more proactive about and I am now doing better at that.  Even though Deputy Baker is no longer a part of my morning QT routine I won't forget how the mistake that introduced me to her helped change my life for the better.  Is Deputy Baker the reason I changed my life?  No, but had that been a negative interaction I bet the outcome would have been completely different.  She did nothing more than be friendly and patient with me but that allowed me to change my attitude and perspective about things thus leading to the positive changes I have made.  It was just one link in the chain of events... but it was the starting link.  We all have to start somewhere! 

This year has been the most difficult year of my life. Although I have made some positive changes in my life, I'm still human. I make mistakes. This year is no exception. A recent mistake is turning in to a difficult lesson to learn. The mistakes don't define me though. It's how I respond to the mistakes that really shapes who I am. Lessons are sometimes hard to learn but it's the lessons that strengthen us and develop us in to a unique individual.

I previously ended this long post with this lyric from Garth Brooks, "Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance" because I considered meeting Deputy Baker a thing of chance and it was a painful experience (who likes being in trouble?) but I learned from it.  But maybe a more appropriate ending to this post is the lyrics from Tracy Lawrence's song "Find out who your friends are" because well... I learned who my friends are while going through the most difficult time of my life!

 http://www.cmt.com/videos/tracy-lawrence/160946/find-out-who-your-friends-are.jhtml#id=1579502

Welcoming the new Citizen's Academy class - JCSO Citizen's Academy

On August 14, 2012 the Johnson County Sheriff's Office welcomed in participants of the 31st class of the Citizen's Academy and guess who got invited to speak to them?  Me!  Okay so maybe Rita forgot to line someone up and just happened to get a hold of me to see if I would speak.  (Dave Deucher, also a graduate of the 30th class, was contacted by Rita to speak as well.)   Still though... me, really?  Out of the 18 who completed the 30th class I was a little surprised I was one of 2 asked to come back and speak to the new class. 

It was actually fun!  (Thanks Rita for asking me!)  I encouraged the new class to have fun, ask a lot of questions and don't admit to being a cop magnet!  Captain Simpson had mentioned to the class that many people don't realize Johnson County has a Sheriff's Office and that many times deputies are asked if they work for Overland Park or the Olathe Police Department.  When it was my turn to speak, I really hadn't planned on what I would say so I started off by saying that I also didn't know there was a Sheriff's Office in Johnson County until I got pulled over by a deputy a few years ago.  That got a chuckle from the class. 

Seriously though, I talked briefly about why I wanted to attend the academy, why it was a good idea to attend all the classes/activities (and if they missed a scheduled class to talk to Rita about making it up with the next academy class), to ask questions and have fun!  I concluded by encouraging them to consider volunteering for the Sheriff's Office after graduation if they don't currently volunteer somewhere.  Dave and I both commented about some of the events we have volunteered at since graduating.  It is a great way to meet new people (other class graduates as well as deputies we didn't meet during our class), learn new things and give back to the community!

Welcome Class #31!  Have fun!  12 weeks goes by really fast, enjoy the experience!!!

 

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