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To celebrate National Volunteer week, northeastNOW is featuring community volunteers who go above and beyond all year round, including Melfort's Multi-K race director, Allison Rogers. (Facebook/Melfort Multi-K)
National Volunteer week

From Melfort Multi-K to minor football, volunteering comes natural for Allison Rogers

Apr 22, 2021 | 12:53 PM

It is National Volunteer week and northeastNOW is featuring community volunteers who go above and beyond all year round.

For 11 years, Allison Rogers has been a vital part of the Melfort Multi-K event each fall.

Rogers who is now the race director said any involvement big or small can make such a difference in community organizations.

“I didn’t start out as the race director, I started out at as a board member but it slowly grew,” Rogers said. “I feel like it is twofold; it gives back to the community and gives back to you in your life.”

Melfort Multi-K race director, Allison Rogers joined with fellow committee members at the event in 2019. (Submitted photo/Allison Rogers)

Last year would have been the 10-year anniversary of the Multi-K event but couldn’t happen due to public health restrictions in place due to COVID-19. The Multi-K typically brings in hundreds of participants.

“You feel like you’re at a bit of a loss because it is something you do every year and then suddenly it’s not there,” Rogers said. “I think it will also be interesting to see how many people come back once they have had a break from volunteering.”

For Rogers, it has renewed her sense of wanting to volunteer and give back. Keeping up the enthusiasm for these types of events in the midst of a pandemic has been a big challenge.

“When you still don’t know if it will be able to go ahead for another year or not, that’s been another challenge,” Rogers said. “As a committee, we do want it to look as normal as possible.”

At the very least, the Melfort Multi-K will be a virtual event again this fall according to Rogers.

A highlight in her volunteering career each and every year is the one km fun run in the Multi-K event.

“Those kids are just so excited to get out there and run and to see their smiling faces makes the whole day,” Rogers said.

To add on to her involvement around Melfort, she is also heavily involved with the Melfort Minor Football program.

“My husband is the organizer of the program but also my children play and football is a big part of our lives so that is a natural one,” Rogers said. “It is his dream to have this program here and so I am really happy that I can help him make that dream come true.”

Volunteering was instilled in Rogers at a young age with her dad being a strong believer in volunteering.

“I was part of a band program in Regina and we could never have done what we did as a group without the volunteers to facilitate it,” Rogers said. “I saw early on what a benefit to the community the volunteers really are.”

Extra recognition and appreciation needs to be extended for fellow Melfort volunteers Tony and Dianne Caissie, who Rogers referred to as two quiet, unsung heroes in the community.

“Tony volunteers with Special Olympics and has always been a huge supporter Multi-K and we can always count on him to do package pick-up and he runs in it as well,” Rogers said. ” His wife volunteers on the course too and they just do so much that not many people know about.”

Rogers said she would recommend volunteering to absolutely anyone because you never know what it will lead to.

“I never thought I would become race director and that it would turn into such a huge event that has brought so much to my life and the community,” Rogers said.

Other benefits of joining a group or committee include broadening relationships and strengthening the community as a whole, she said.

The Melfort Multi-K typically takes place in September with registration beginning on May 1. An update is expected from the committee in the coming weeks as they evaluate the covid-19 situation.

angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser