- Joy Goertzen and Dayna Graham
Friendships cannot be guaranteed at FortWhyte, however staying active with volunteers of similar interests do grow bonds that have resulted in a vibrant volunteer program that supports FortWhyte Alive’s mission.
Volunteers Joy Goertzen and Dayna Graham have been part of the FortWhyte Volunteer Program for over six years. Why would they have volunteer their spare time while working at full-time positions? Joy was drawn to volunteering through her love of nature and being outdoors helping and encouraging a variety of people. Dayna wanted to protect a few hours of the day with “more green and less screen” and be surrounded by people who also love to visit FortWhyte and who inspire her to share it forward. Before volunteering Dayna and Joy were acquainted, and they became close friends while working together at various FortWhyte events. Now, they enjoy volunteering side-by-side at the weekly evening Open Paddling in the summer and at Sunset Goose Flights in the Fall. They use the on-line sign-up program to choose a day and time to volunteer at the same event in order to spend some catch-up time together. With these activities booked in their calendars, they know that they are guaranteed to get some outdoor time in the natural FortWhyte environment. In the fall, Joy and Dayna can often be seen biking to FortWhyte to get some exercise before starting their evening Goose Flights shifts. They work with the ten other volunteers who are needed each night to run the concession stand, take admissions at the front gate or act as information rovers. Joy’s work experience in helping the public and Dayna’s position as student support at Red River College provide them the experience and skills to be excellent customer service ambassadors to our FortWhyte visitors. The next time you are at a FortWhyte Goose Flight event, watch for Dayna dressed in her grandma’s knitted goose curling sweater and Joy offering a bright, welcoming smile. Dayna and Joy will be more than welcome to answer your questions about the geese and their lakelanding patterns and give you directions to a cup of steaming hot chocolate on a crisp autumn evening.
FortWhyte's Volunteer program appreciates all those who find the time to give back to the community at all stages of their life. If you are interested in learning more about the volunteer roles at FortWhyte Alive or want to be part of the Goose Flight Evenings, contact Sharyl Eaglesham at [email protected].