Giving back to volunteers in Roth
The 2015 Datev Challenge Roth had about 6,000 volunteers this year and these fans are fully and passionately involved. The Challenge family thanks the volunteers whenever they can and wherever they go, but they put up a big thank you with a shindig called Helferfest (helper party). The first Helferfest usually takes place a few hours after the big awards party in the tent in Roth, and then a few weeks later there is another Helferfest in Hilpoltstein for the southern counties. About 1,200 raffle prizes, food and drinks are offered to the volunteers and it is a big social gathering as well. In the end that means about $32,000 back to the volunteers. Among the main raffle prizes were a trip for two for a week to the Playitas resort on the Canary Islands, 9 weekends for two in the Mohrenwirt Wellness Hotel in Austria, big screen TVs, plus other electronic gear. Below are some impressions from the 2015 Challenge Roth Helferfest in Roth.
Young volunteers look on as the evening starts to gather steam.
A full house of about 3,000 volunteers, including various host families and media.
Roth mayor Ralph Edelhäußer and Challenge CEO Felix Walchshöfer greet a volunteer who will be drawing the raffle prizes.
And there are plenty of great prizes to be had.
This lucky person won the trip to the Playitas resort, and was so excited that she didn't want to leave the stage.
My motorbike driver Horst, who has driven me now for four years in Roth, also won some raffle prizes.
Pro athletes stuck around to sign autographs.
This volunteer shows passion for the race with numerous wristbands.
Every year Challenge Roth also invests in a Helferfilm, check out the great work below.
Not every race can send that much money back to the volunteers, but it is not only about money. All week long the Walchshöfer family is walking around in Roth shaking hands, hugging people and saying thank you, thank you, and thank you. On race day Felix Walchshöfer goes from aid station to aid station and again shakes hands, hugs folks, and kisses babies, and these volunteers vividly remember that.
There are lessons to be learned here and just as in other businesses, it is less expensive to retain a volunteer than it is to gain a new one. As a race director, what do you do to make your volunteers happy and encourage them to return?
We as athletes also need to say thank you to the volunteers, over and over again, and sometimes random little gifts do wonders for morale. Because without volunteers, we would not be racing.
