Volunteer

Volunteers are the key to the success of the BIGGSteps Toward Cancer Prevention event. Thank you to those that have volunteered over the past eight years! If you would like to volunteer for BIGGSteps please register. All volunteers will be contacted 2-3 weeks prior to the race to confirm job assignments and provide you with any other details you will need to know.  

There are many jobs for volunteers the day of the race.  You can even volunteer to help before or after the race if you're running! Roles include:

  • General Set Up

  • Race Day Registration

  • Course and Parking Monitor

  • Kid Activity Monitor:

  • Water Station

  • Finish Line/Awards Ceremony

  • Cheer Squad

  • Kids Dash Coordinator


Volunteer Job Descriptions

General Set Up:
Arrive Time:  7:00am
Time Commitment:  1 hour
Responsibilities:  Assist with table, tent and chair set up in the registration and kid activity areas.  Assist with sign placement along course.  Light to moderate lifting is required for this position

Race Day Registration:
Arrival Time:  7:30am
Time Commitment:  3 hours
Responsibilities:  Register runners for race.  Coordinate new entrants with RaceWire. Distribute bib numbers, race packets and door prizes. Collect donations.

Parking Monitor:
Arrival time:  7:30 am
Time Commitment:  3 hours
Responsibilities:  Help guide participants to appropriate parking areas. Monitor for traffic and pedestrians.  Volunteers with good knowledge of Needham High School neighborhood are valued. 

Course Monitor (1-mile):
Arrival time:  8.45am
Time Commitment:  2 hours
Responsibilities:  Ensure walkers stay on correct course.  Monitor for traffic and pedestrians.  Volunteers need to have good knowledge of course.  Cheering and encouragement to the runners is encouraged!

Course Monitor (5K):
Arrival time:  9:45am
Time Commitment:  2.5 hours
Responsibilities:  Ensure runners stay on correct course.  Monitor for traffic and pedestrians.  Volunteers need to have good knowledge of course.  Cheering and encouragement to the runners is encouraged!

Water Station Attendant:
Arrival time:  10:00am
Time Commitment:  2 hours/until final runner passes
Responsibilities:  Prepare water cups and pass out to runners as they pass.  Keep area clean. Break down station at end of race. Cheering on the runners is also encouraged!

Finish Line/Awards Ceremony/Post Race Jobs:
Arrival time:  10:45am
Time Commitment:  2 hours/until last runner finishes
Responsibilities:  Keep finish line clear.  Usher finishers to water/food table. Prepare and manage water/food table.  Organize awards table.

Kids Dash Coordinator:
Arrival time:  10:15am
Time Commitment:  1.5 hours
Responsibilities:  Organize runners into groups by age.  Assist runners to start line.  Hand out ribbons to all runners.  

Cheer Squad:
Arrival time:  9:15am
Time Commitment:  2 hour 30 minutes/until last runner passes
Responsibilities:  Be wacky!  Be funny!  Cheer on our runners throughout the course.  Costumes not required but encouraged!  Some supplies including chalk and poster board will be available the day of the race.

Volunteer Guidelines
Take pride in your role!  Volunteers like you have helped BIGGSteps Toward Cancer Prevention events have raise over $915,000!  

Attire for the day should be warm and comfortable, including your shoes. You are welcome to sign up for multiple shifts, we will make sure you can transition between them.

All volunteers are encouraged to help with clean up - we expect this to start around 12:00 pm.
Please notify us if you need to adjust or cancel your assignment by contacting the volunteer coordinator, Ellen Connor at ellen@biggsteps.org at least 2 days before the event.

Thank you again for your interest in taking BIGGSteps toward cancer prevention!