Voulunteer Job Descriptions

All Around Helpers:
Willing to volunteer wherever needed. Indoors or out. Varied hours and work assignments.

Banner/Sign Placement:
Placing and picking up banners and signs in designated areas before, during and after ECX events.

Banquet Team:
Helps banquet coordinator. Available tasks include food prep, food serving, decorating tables, set up, seating, entertainment, ticket collection, and clean up.

Brochure/Banner Distribution:
Hand delivers brochures and handouts to Sponsors, Local Merchants, and Media Outlets. Transportation a plus.

Checkpoint Set Up/Take Down:
Assists Checkpoint Managers in hauling in and setting up of remote camp equipment such as tents, stoves, latrines, wood piles, kitchen areas. Snowmobile and snowmobile experience a plus. Winter working conditions. Good health and strong resolve a benefit.

Communications:
Communications are the nerve system of the race. Communicators tie the race together by using a variety of communication options to ensure a smooth and safe race. Workers use ham radios, land line phones, cell phones, internet, and line of sight radios to communicate with the public and other workers. Communicators fill out forms and pass on information. Spots are available in the Joseph Area and the backcountry area. Amateur radio license a plus. Able to work in a noisy, fast paced environment.

Crowd Control/Parking:
Provides guidance to public and participants at designated areas.

Delivery Personal:
Pick up from local merchants and suppliers food, equipment, and supplies and deliver them to designated distribution points.

Dog Handlers:
Help assist mushers in team control and safely handle sled dogs before, during and after the race. Work is outside and proper winter clothing is necessary. Works with Start Chute Boss.

Equipment Inventory:
Help inventory, track and repair all race equipment.

Fund Raising/Sponsorship:
Helps the sponsorship coordinator with preparing pamphlets and sponsorship packets and the distribution and follow up of the packets. Basic computer skills helpful.

Grant Writing:
Assists the ECX Board of Directors in procuring grant funds. Good phone, verbal, and written skills. Grant writing experience a plus.

Media/Public Relations:
Helps with the content, design, and distribution of public relations information and materials. Creates press releases and media packets for news reporters.

Merchandise Sales:
Helps the Merchandise Coordinator sell ECX merchandise at Race Central, the Vet Check areas, the Start /Finish areas and the Banquet. Can get involved with internet sales if interested.

Musher Coordinator Assistant:
Helps the musher coordinator with all things related to mushers like the musher welcome packets, the biographies, musher pictures, musher potluck, musher dog handler’s information and housing.

Newsletter Writer:
Designs and produces a newsletter to report ongoing news to the members and sponsors. Writer needs to take the initiative to contact coordinators for newsletter content. Basic computer skills helpful. Minimum output four newsletters a year.

Office Support:
Works with the Race Central Coordinator during or before the race. Helps with the filing, typing and imputing of results. Helps pass out information to the public and answers questions. Helps keep the race office organized and running smoothly.

Photographer:
Works with the Public Relations Coordinator to document the race in pictures and tries to get the illustrations needed for the public relations information given out by the race. Experienced at creating photo opportunities and digital production is helpful.

Start Chute Area:
Workers help the Chute Boss handle the start. Workers are needed to handle dogs, use ATV’s for team control, and co-ordinate safe and timely starts for each competitive team.

Start/Finish Team: Helps the Start/Finish Coordinators set up and take down all the fencing, gates, PA equipment, staging, and special work areas for the start/finish.

Timers/Checkers:
Works at checkpoints logging in arrival and departure times and checks safety equipment carried by the mushers.

Trail Crew:
All trail work is outside in the winter time so proper winter clothing is necessary. Owning a snowmobile is a plus. The Trail Boss directs all trail maintenance and preparation and race crews. The trail boss crew is made up of three people. This crew is responsible for marking, packing and clearing of the race course. During the race all trail crews always travel in pairs on snowmobiles and usually work 50 mile stretches on the race course. There are also point and sweep crews for each designated race or stage. Each designated race has a point crew pair that travel in front of the lead dog team. Each designated race also has a sweep crew that travels behind the last team at a safe and non disturbing distance. Plan on long snowmobile runs at night with unpredictable weather and little sleep. Higher level of snowmobile experience helpful.

Shorter trail crew work includes half day time blocks where snowmobiles are used to transport equipment and personnel in to outlying checkpoints. This usually involves meeting at Salt Creek Summit loading a tub trailer full of equipment and pulling the trailer to the designated area. This happens before and after the race.

Trail Sign Construction:
Construct trail markers and signs with supplied materials and instructions.

Vet Check:
Help the Vet Check Coordinator set up and supply the vet check areas. Requires some recording and form filing, and handing out of information. Also hands out drop bags to the mushers.

Veterinarians/Vet Techs:
Works under the Head Vet. Requires pre-approval by the Head Vet and all duties are assigned by the head vet.