VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 18, 2012 - 13
Best gigs involve access
Classical concerts, dance performances, ski passes top perks of most-sought-after posts. By Katy Niner
T
he natural and cultural backdrop of Jackson Hole affords ample opportunities for volunteerism with rewards. Perks include skiing around Rendezvous Mountain all day or attending events staged at the Center for the Arts and Walk Festival Hall. Here is a trio of rewarding roles.
Alpine ambassadors “What’s the easiest way down?” This is the No. 1 question asked of Andy Zimmerman, a volunteer mountain host at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Runners-up are where to find lunch or a drink. This season, the resort enlisted approximately 65 mountain hosts, a volunteer position that offers the perk of a season pass and days roving around the mountain.
BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski host Andy Zimmerman gives advice to visitors on where to find the best snow April 5 at the top of the Bridger Gondola. This was Zimmerman’s first year volunteering as a host at the resort.
Zimmerman heard about the gig from friends who are hosts. Having spent four winters in food and beverage service at the mountain, Zimmerman interviewed to become a host last fall. According to the resort, this winter 50 people expressed interest in becoming hosts, 30 applied and between 15 and 20 were hired. Zimmerman’s rookie season began with training — first aid, CPR — and then he shadowed a seasoned host in the early winter. All winter long, Zimmerman enjoyed interacting with the public and his resort peers. Beyond guiding guests, hosts work closely with mountain operations and ski patrol. With ski patrol stationed high on the mountain — skiing down to an accident affords the quickest response — mountain hosts look out for issues down low. When they see a crash, they radio ski patrol. On duty twice a week, Zimmerman begins his day
with a mountain host meeting at 8 a.m. The crew is fun and diverse, Zimmerman said, from people with five jobs to retirees. All amicable and well-rounded, the hosts become a “brotherhood,” Zimmerman said, which means banter runs high in the morning. “The true light of the mountain hosts’ diversity comes out in those early morning meetings,” Zimmerman said. Generation gaps are playfully bridged, new lingo defined. “We have a lot of fun.” Each host is assigned to a specific area, like Apres Vous in the morning, Thunder in the afternoon. A given region will have one to four hosts assigned to it. For Zimmerman, the toughest part of the job is juggling hosting with his paid nighttime jobs — a predicament his young peers also found themselves in. “Some days, you ski nearly 30,000 vertical feet, See BEST GIGS on 14
Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Volunteers Standing By For You
Town of Jackson St 1 Cpt Eric Borgeson Chris Betsinger Riclyn Betsinger Valerie Blair Henry Cadwalader Greg Cooljian Teresa deGroh Matt Goewert Bobbi Heikkila Rick Kortum Frank Lane Brad Larson Drew Rush Leo Sanchez Kevin Salys Veronica Schreibeis Amanda Soliday Melissa Thomasma Brad Watsabaugh
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Town of Wilson St 2 Cpt Robert Moomey Shayne Hansen Tim Harland Dean Jarvie Russchelle Jones Heath Kuszak Chris Mommsen Brian Moore Steve Poole
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Cpt Mike Mayer Cpt Dave Schwindt Cpt Mike Trumbower Lt Todd Fitzgerald Frank Becker Dave Cernicek Mary Cernicek Janet Palermo Lisa Potzernitz Forrest Sandberg Bernd Sieber Tom Toolson
Moran Area St 4
Cpt Mack McFarland Tom Getler Erik Kimball Phillip Lamoureux Cam Preuss Larry Robinson Logan Steffens Giovanni Tabacchi Chris Tacke James Warren
Pines/Wilson Area St 6 Cpt Tom Mason Cpt Steve Moomey Louise Gignoux Bill Hade Jim Knoke Remy Levy Chris Littman Nathan Lundquist Tina Martinez Connor Quinn Brenda Sherwin Kelly Stirn David Wheeler
Adams Canyon St 7 Cpt Rob Dearing Lt Matt Redwine Carlo Acacio Ray Brence Clay Geittmann John Gonnella Joe Kravetsky John LaBrec Jim Little, Jr Ben Mateosky Anthony Rojo Matt Somers Mike Sullivan Bill Van Gelder Sam Zuckerman
These names represent the men and women who give up time with family and friends to serve the community. 8,753 Total Hours trained in 2011 335 Total Fire calls in 2011 1,087 Total EMS calls in 2011
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Personal Sacrifice for the Good of the Whole