When I volunteered at WaterFire for the first time, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
In early 2015 I read a Facebook post that WaterFire was looking for volunteers, and I thought “Hmm…that sounds interesting!” I had been looking for volunteer opportunities, and I had experienced a couple of WaterFire lightings over the years so I had some familiarity with the event, but my curiosity was piqued.
I remember going to the initial orientation meeting at what is now the beautiful WaterFire Arts Center on Valley Street. Back then it was a cold and gritty warehouse building, and I didn’t quite know what to make of it. Then the WaterFire staff put up a PowerPoint presentation outlining volunteer opportunities and the more I saw, the more excited I got. That was almost a decade ago, and as they say, the rest is history! I’ve been volunteering with WaterFire ever since.
Visitors are often surprised to learn that the people they see on the Wood Boats, feeding the fires throughout the evening, are all volunteers. Every lighting, about 150 volunteers contribute anywhere from 500 to 700 hours altogether, filling many different essential roles onshore and off-. Being part of a Wood Boat crew is one of my favorites.
The work is satisfying–we’re the ones literally keeping the fires burning all night–but I also love getting to interact with visitors. In between fire-feeding runs, we’ll tie the Wood Boat up to the wall and pause for a moment on the river. It’s so gratifying when people walk by and commend us for a beautiful show. We absolutely should feel great knowing that we’re making an impact, drawing thousands of people into Providence. There’s no better way to enjoy our fine city!
Visitors also always have endless fantastic questions and want to know everything about WaterFire: “How much wood do you go through each night? How many braziers are there? Where’s the best spot to sit? Are you all volunteers?” And my favorite question of all: “How do I become a part of this?”
On event days, I look forward to arriving early and catching up with Volunteers and staff. I think most of us volunteers would agree that the best part of WaterFire is the friendships that you make here, and it’s true. There’s a real sense of teamwork on the Wood Boats: we’re all working together toward a common goal, and we want to make the event as beautiful and meaningful as we can.
After the event, it’s almost mandatory that we all go out for some refreshments, most of us smelly and grimy from the event, but we don’t care. I’ve been to several events around Providence organized by fellow volunteers, as well as gatherings hosted by Kellie and Gary, WaterFire’s wonderful volunteer coordinators, at the WaterFire Arts Center. These people have become my close friends, and I never could have imagined what a strong community I was joining when I first volunteered in 2015!
If you’re one of those people wondering how they can get involved, we would love to have you join us. You can read about volunteer opportunities on our website. Beyond that, as we close out the 2023 season and prepare for the next year, we need your support more than ever.
Community fundraising is an essential part of WaterFire Providence’s annual budget and you can make a difference right now. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to WaterFire Providence today so that we can fill the new year with more transformative, world-class art experiences for our community.
On behalf of the many volunteers, vendors, artists, students, visitors, and local business owners whose lives are brightened by WaterFire, thank you. Our entire community is lifted up by your support. Hope to see you down by the river in 2024!
