Volunteers are vitally important to the success of the Cambridge Tour de Grand Bicycle Ride. Below is a description of the volunteer opportunities which may be of interest to you, your family and your friends. All event volunteers receive a volunteer event T-shirt, refreshments, lunch and our sincere appreciation. High School students will receive credits for their volunteer hours high school requirement. Volunteers under the age of 18 require written authorization to participate from a parent or legal guardian. To volunteer for any of the positions listed below, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator.
Under the guidance of our Registration Coordinator you will greet the pre registered riders at the registration desk or process the applications of new riders, ensure waivers are signed, fees paid, hand out route maps, and T-shirt tickets and provide information to riders on the next steps before their ride. Registration volunteers are needed for shifts starting at 7:00 a.m. on ride day and continuing to the last ride at 10:30 a.m. You can help out for the full shift or pick a shift that suits you. Volunteers are also needed on Saturday from noon until 2:00 pm at the Arena to assist with the Saturday registrations.
Under the guidance of our T-Shirt Coordinator, you will greet riders after registration and provide them with event T-shirts. T-shirts are distributed from the first registration at 7:30 a.m. to after the last riders return to the Arena. You can help out for the full time or pick a shift that works for you. Volunteers are also needed on Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Arena to assist with organizing and distributing T-shirts.
Food fuels the riders and it has to be ready when they arrive back at event headquarters at Duncan McIntosh Arena and at the six rest stops on the routes. Cutting, slicing, preparing, replenishing and serving are some of the duties of the food preparation and serving volunteers. The 1000's of riders eat a lot of food after their rides. Volunteers will be cutting fruit and other items and then be involved in setting out sandwich fixings for lunch. These jobs go for the entire day starting at 8:00 a.m. and continuing to the last rider has returned from their ride and been fed around 3:00 p.m. This is a job that requires a lot of volunteers working a number of shifts.
The eleven routes that make up the Tour de Grand share six rest stops out in the country surrounding Cambridge. Volunteers will work at one rest stop for their shift where they will be in charge of ensuring food and water is set out for the riders and kept replenished. Some food preparations such as cutting fruit and other items may be necessary. A long day means that numerous volunteers are needed to look after the shifts.
To ensure the Rest Stop Volunteers are delivered and returned from the rest stop and that food and water are kept in good supply, we require persons with vehicles to ferry back and forth from the event headquarters at Duncan McIntosh Arena to one of the rest stops during the day in a series of shifts.
One of the most important jobs is that of a traffic marshal whose job is to ensure the safety of the riders. Although police officers handle the busiest intersections and crossings, we require a large number of traffic marshals to assist riders at less busy intersections and crossings. Traffic marshals will be at most turning points on the routes to ensure that no rider gets lost. This is a job that will include advance training and safety vests will be provided. Any teenager will work with an adult. Traffic Marshals do not direct vehicle traffic.
At the end of the ride, your job will be to welcome back the riders and direct them to the Arena where lunch will be available. Riders will be returning from approximately noon to 4:00 p.m.
In serious emergency situations, St. John Ambulance, REACT, the Police and the Ambulance Services will respond. For less serious situations the Emergency Responder Volunteer will be asked to go out on the route to bring back to Event Headquarters, a rider who cannot complete the ride for health or bike mechanical reasons. This is a position that will continue during the event and a series of volunteers working a series of shifts is required. You will be required to use your personal vehicle for which you will be reimbursed for mileage and you should have room for 2 riders and 2 bicycles. We will also ask for details of your auto insurance liability policy.
All the signs that the riders follow are placed on the routes by volunteers. The job is done the week before the event and checked early on Sunday morning, event day. The signs are then removed, the following week after the event. Detailed instructions, route signs, equipment and safety vests are provided.
On Saturday before the event at 9:00 a.m., volunteers gather at event headquarters to set up the tables, chairs and signs for the event. They also assist in getting food and water loaded into vans for the rest stops. The job is usually completed in two hours assisted by a large group of volunteers for whom lunch is provided.
On the days before the event, signs directing riders to event headquarters are put out around Cambridge to assist riders driving to the event. A small group of volunteers is needed. Detailed instructions, route signs, equipment and safety vests are provided.
The Cambridge Tour de Grand Organizing Committee starts its work in October of each year. The Committee meets monthly to do all the planning of a large number of details that are required to run the event. If you would like to become a member of the Organizing Committee, click to contact us
All volunteers will be required to participate in Volunteer Training either online or at training meetings depending on the volunteer position. Details will be provided by the Volunteer Coordinator.
All volunteers are required to complete the attached Volunteer Agreement/Release and Waiver form and follow the instructions on the form.
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