Community volunteerism takes many forms. When folks volunteer, they tend to gravitate towards the place where their gifts and talents can be most useful. Much of what happens in a community as small as Gardiner happens because residents give so generously of their time and money, and, when a volunteer is having fun as well, the benefits increase tenfold. Here in Gardiner, people have found many creative ways to give their energy: the fire dept, the town boards, the library, visiting a sick neighbor, blood drives, Gardiner Day and road clean up, just to mention a few. The list is impressive. There are people who volunteer quietly, and no one even knows about it.
Robin Hayes likes to produce events. She does this with flair and humor. When she is organizing, the people who work with her not only produce a community event that is useful, but fun as well. A couple of months ago, Robin organized and hosted a gathering of 65 women at the Minnewaska Lodge to raise money for an artist-filmmaker’s next project. The evening was an amazing creation of food, wine, gifts and delicious entertainment. The group became a “community for a night.” (Remember Queen for a Day?) We all laughed together, ate together and shared a common purpose that was creative and productive.
Another of the events that Robin has helped to organize for the past three years is the Gardiner Cupcake Festival. This event begins with meetings in January.
The festival involves millions of details which could become odious and boring, but instead become challenging for Robin. She treats every other member of the cupcake committee with respect. Robin’s positive and energetic attitude to just about everything she does not only enriches the cupcake festival organizing committee but the whole Gardiner community as well.
Gardiner is lucky to have her.