2008 Orange County Fair

The 2008 Orange County Fair

The 2008 Orange County Fair is fast approaching and planning is underway for our annual, number one fundraising effort, The Courtyard. The Orange County Fair starts on Friday July 11, and ends on Sunday, August 3. Income received at The Courtyard helps the OCWS to fund our two Orange County Fair wine competitions—the Commercial Competition and the Homewine Competition—as well as our Scholarship Program.

On the following page is the Wine Courtyard Sign-Up form for volunteering at The Courtyard. Adjacent is the Server Responsibility Statement. Please review and sign this statement and return with the sign-up form. Volunteers should check The Courtyard sign-up form on the OCWS website for the current availability of shifts. Just download this form after May 12 to make sure that your desired shifts have not already been filled. This form will be continually updated until the start of the fair. Further, due to the expensive and time-consuming process in certifying volunteers for The Courtyard, members are asked to serve at least two shifts. To show our appreciation for your support, a free copy of the 2008 Award Book will be provided to each membership at The Courtyard upon completion of two shifts.

As a concessionaire at the Fair, the OCWS must adhere to contractual requirements established by OCFEC Board of Directors and Staff. For 2008, a continuing requirement has been included that requires all OCWS volunteers be “professionally trained and certified in alcohol awareness techniques.” Individuals who took the TIPS training in 2006 and 2007 have fulfilled the requirement for this year’s fair. New OCWS members and members who completed the TIPS training in 2005 are required to undergo the 2008 TIPS training. The Alcohol Server Training sign-up form can be found on the last page of The Wine Press. Please use this form to indicate your availability to attend training. If you have any questions about alcohol server training, please call Karen Ward at 714.964.3881.

Please take this opportunity to sign up now as a Courtyard volunteer. Every effort will be made to assign you to the shifts and duties that you select. All shifts are noted on the sign-up form and all schedules are the same as last year with an exception that the Fair will open on noon on Fridays. Historically, certain shifts are hard to fill. These understaffed shifts tend to be weekday nights and Sunday nights (8:00 –11:30 pm). When submitting your sign-up form, please consider volunteering for one or more of these shifts. Assignments will be made on a first-come basis so return this sign-up form as soon as possible, but no later than May 12, 2008. You will be notified of your assignment by the end of June along with further volunteer instructions, passes, and parking instructions. Please contact Larry Graham at 949.551.0155 for questions concerning assignments or special parking needs.

“Say Cheese” is the theme for our 2008 Orange County Fair. Whether you are a new volunteer or a Courtyard veteran, this is your opportunity to experience the Orange County Fair while helping our OCWS staff The Courtyard.

Remember, when submitting your volunteer request, please (1) Fill out the Courtyard sign-up form completely, (2) Sign the Server Responsibility Statement, and (3) Complete the Alcohol Server Training form, if needed.

See you at the Fair!

The Courtyard Committee

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