Volunteers Contribute to GranFondo Success
Carol Song and David Eng
Vancouver, B.C. – Dedicated friends and spontaneous ingenuity ensured that 6,000 cyclists were off to a safe start in the RBC GranFondo Whistler. The 122km and 152km endurance bike races ascended from Stanley Park in Vancouver to the popular ski village. David Eng was one of the seasoned volunteers who contributed to the event’s success.
“An awesome sight and experience to send 6,000 riders off from the start line of the RBC GranFondo,” says David, who served as co-captain along with his long-time volunteer friend, Carol Song.
“We recruited our buddies Helen Lee, Vivian Dong Chow, Karen Lee, Yvonne and Jim Tong, Reiko Higuchi and John So. Along with other volunteers, we organized the riders at the start line into corrals because not all 6,000 can safely fit on the Sea to Sky highway all at once. From the first Forte corral at 6:00 a.m. to the last 7+ hour corral at 7:30 a.m., it was a successful start without a hitch, done with a shortage of three volunteers plus a shortage of materials.”
As an eight-time volunteer at the GranFondo, David and his team knew they had to act quickly to find solutions. “We cobbled together whatever materials we could find including rummaging through a garbage bin. Carol and I waltzed through the challenges because our trusted buddies did double and triple duty.”
These feats were even more impressive considering that David, Carol, and some of the other volunteers were operating on as little as three hours of sleep!
“The day before, we were at the Velospoke Expo as Captains of Rider Bag Check and Rider Swag Bag Distribution. Carol and I with a team of 15 volunteers ensured each rider was handed out a backpack bag of sponsor goodies. We also took in a bag check of clothing and arranged for it to be delivered to Whistler at the finish line.”
This Sutton REALTOR® has volunteered at so many sporting and community events over the past decade that he has lost count. One of his favourite roles is as a lead cyclist in foot races; he loves the energy of the participants and the opportunity to get some exercise while seeing his community from a new perspective.
To connect with David, please visit www.DavidEngHomes.com.
Sutton is a 100% Canadian-owned and operated company with more than 6,500 REALTORS® in over 200 offices nationwide. To find out more about Sutton, visit www.sutton.com. To learn more about Sutton Spirit, visit www.suttonspirit.com.
—————————————————————————-
Sutton Group – West Coast Realty Inc. :
David Eng
604-561-2885
david.eng.realtor@gmail.com
Sutton Group Realty Services Ltd.:
Maria Castro
604-691-1689
stories@suttonspirit.com