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2024 October Volunteer of the Month - Harvest Halloween Committee

Updated: Nov 25



Every year, near Halloween, young ghosts and goblins are looking for a scary good time!  Kids and adults alike can haunt the streets and play their tricks for their treats.  They can pet some animals, ride a train, make their way through a maze of hay bales or find a prize in a pit of corn.  There is something for everyone! Food trucks for all.  Even a walk for the dressed-up dogs!  This all happens in an event called Harvest Halloween!


This family fun and free event does not happen without a committee of dedicated individuals and generous sponsors.  Harvest Halloween Committee members spend 30 to 50 hours each year at meetings, coordinating the event, finding sponsors, setting up for the event, conducting the event then finally tearing down and getting ready for next year! 


This committee is made up of busy business owners and professionals in the Yankton area, who still take time to serve their community and create an event that is fun for all.  Harvest Halloween continues to grow and improve each year thanks to the generous sponsors and the community’s love for the event.


Thank you, Josh Blom, Christin Blom, Brennan Ewald, Matt Hunhoff, Brett Ewald, Jason Schander, Mandi Gause, Nick Severson, Jackie Pajl, Anthony Jelenik and Jenna Braunesreither. 


Because of their commitment to enriching our community, United Way & Volunteer Services of Greater Yankton was honored to present the Harvest Halloween Committee with the October 2024 Volunteer of the Month Award.


We asked Mandi Gause of the Harvest Halloween Committee to share more about how volunteerism impacts their organization:


Please describe your organization and its mission or purpose.

Our organization’s mission is to provide a FREE and fun fall event for greater Yankton area families.


Please describe the impact your organization makes on the community, share some stats!

This year in 2024, our event brought thousands of people to the downtown area to enjoy food trucks, trick-or-treating, fall focused entertainment, art in partnership with local Yankton businesses and organizations, entertainment for kids, access to pony rides and petting zoos, and an opportunity to wear the Halloween costume more than Halloween night.


What value do volunteers bring to your organization?

Our volunteers work for 6+ months to coordinate the day’s festivities, brainstorm new additions, set up, work, and take down the attractions. We also partner with local organizations to help our event run smoothly.


Please provide any pertinent statistics that show how volunteers impact your organization.

Each Committee member spends 30-50 hours of volunteering each year for coordinating, putting on the event, organizing volunteers, coordinating with the City and Parks & Rec department, coordinating with local advertisers/radio stations.


Do you have a recruiting message you would like to communicate to encourage others to support your organization through volunteerism?

This event would not have been possible without the volunteers who helped us on the day of the event to ensure it was smooth running and to keep others safe. If helping organize a festival is not your thing, there is a great opportunity to volunteer for even just 1-2 hours on the day of the event. Volunteer duties day of include crosswalk guards, inflatables, corn pit and haybale maze attendants, trash pickup, and more. We also offer opportunities for service groups to receive a donation back to their group for volunteering the day of the event.


To learn more about local volunteer opportunities or to nominate someone for United Way’s Volunteer of the Month Award, please visit www.yanktonunitedway.org/volunteer, email info@yanktonunitedway.org, or call United Way of Greater Yankton at (605) 665-6766.

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