by Maria Cristina Laureano
As an internationally renowned premier outdoor music festival, a lot is necessary to operate the annual Winnipeg Folk Festival. Along with staff, volunteers play a vital part of this equation. Each year, nearly 3,000 dedicated volunteers contribute over 60,000 hours and run every aspect of the event.
This year, Abraham Laureano not only volunteered at Folk Fest for the first time, it was his first time attending the event. Laureano, a Filipino Registered Nurse at St. Boniface General Hospital’s Intensive Care Cardiac Sciences (ICCS) unit, offered his health care knowledge to the Festival Campground First Aid crew.
“I’m so used to the ICCS where there are life threatening situations so this was a nice change of pace.”
Comprised of 60 volunteers, the First Aid crew provides basic first aid, including handling blisters, cuts, dehydration, allergies, heat-related issues and more. Along with health care professionals, such as nurses and doctors, others with first-aid and CPR experience make up the crew.
This year, the First Aid crew experienced some changes to improve the experience of Folk Fest attendees.
“We merged the campground and main First Aid sites to have larger coverage and more potential for better care for patients . . . this is a build year and we hope to make this a new model for 2015,” said Festival First Aid Coordinator André Nault.
Despite the rainy weather, Laureano only had good things to say about his volunteer experience.
“I loved it, I’m coming back next year. There’s great music, a positive atmosphere and you’re in nature . . . I met a lot of new people . . . they [Folk Fest] treat their volunteers very well,” he said.
“Even though I was at the First Aid Tent (main stage) I was still able to hear music while working. I really loved hearing Bonnie Raitt from a distance even if I couldn’t be in front of the show.”
Along with having a great time as a volunteer, Laureano thinks everyone should experience the festival at least once.
“This [the Folk Fest] is definitely an experience all Winnipeggers should have . . . I regret waiting so long to do it.”
And the main reason people went to the First Aid sites:
“Blisters and cuts from walking barefoot or wearing bad shoes,” laughs Laureano.
