Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast

A few weeks ago, we celebrated our wonderful volunteer group with our annual appreciation breakfast! A special shoutout to Jeff from Island Expressions for catering this wonderful event. Everyone chowed down and enjoyed the morning together! The breakfast included a speech from our ArtsQuest CEO Kassie Hilgert, and from our fearless department leader Cory Stephens. We did hear some feedback from guests that Cory’s microphone wasn’t loud enough, and some had trouble hearing his speech. For those who weren’t there or had trouble hearing we’ve posted a transcript below.  

Welcome everyone, once again, to the Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast! I’m glad that everyone could join us on a beautiful, dry, and refreshing November morning to celebrate another year of the ArtsQuest Volunteer Program.  

If you don’t know me, you’re lucky. I’m Cory Stevens, the Volunteer Program Manager. While it’s mostly my emails blowing up your phone or tablet, I do not strike out on this road alone. I’m joined this morning by Parker Ryan, our Assistant Program Manager. If you haven’t had the chance to work with him, just know that he has streamlined and bolstered connections with our corporate partners, which is so valuable as we continue to increase the size of our events. Somehow, he manages to find free time to direct plays, and his next one will be White Christmas starting December 6^th at the PA Playhouse. Tickets are on sale now, ask him about it!  

While not here, I do also want to recognize Kaitlyn DeRemer, our former Volunteer Program Assistant, and Elise Kney, our previous summer intern. Without them, events like Levitt and Musikfest never would have gotten off the ground in 2024.  

And along with the formal introduction in our long-awaited next newsletter, it is my pleasure to introduce Michael Koehler, our new Volunteer Program Coordinator. Some of you will recognize him from Event Staff, where he worked with Jason, Andrew, and Nancy to help keep you and guests safe at all ArtsQuest events. He will now help our team with the Musikfest Café shows, the Rewards program, hours, and so much more—including the aforementioned newsletter. He’s already managed to do more work on the newsletter in one month than I’ve done since June. He’s also an Eagles fan, so great hire, if you ask me. 

This year was interesting! For the first time in many years, Musikfest was mostly rain, and we even had to close the northside of the festival early one evening. While I’ve only been here six years, I could tell from the look on all your faces how unprecedented this was. Despite this major challenge we still had plenty of volunteer involvement, including five new Site Supervisor Shadows, and several new Alcohol and Information Supervisors. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the folks who stepped up to learn more and take on a leadership role. We also had one of our best main stage ticket sale years ever, with nearly every show approaching sold-out status.  

Oktoberfest was also one for the record books, where we passed our previous food and beverage sale benchmark, exceeding last year’s F&B total by 67%. We emptied 505 kegs over the first two weekends of October, and someone once again tried to steal our statue of Sam Adams.  

ArtsQuest also announced two huge changes: the funding of our new Cultural Center, which will be built where the current Banana Factory stands, and the Turn & Grind shop, which will be renovated into a multipurpose hospitality space. These changes can be daunting (maybe even uncomfortable for some) but the new spaces will increase our capacity to fulfill our mission and deliver even more remarkable programing to the Lehigh Valley.  

What else happened this year? Oh yeah—I got married. For the first time in six years I missed the opening of Christkindlmarkt so I could marry the love of my life. I almost didn’t have words prepared for today because I was so focused on last weekend. Someone kindly suggested that I should take Alison’s name out of my vows and replace it with the word volunteers.  

Volunteers, I vow to stand beside you in sickness and in health. Through every back surgery, every new Reward milestone, I will be there to share in your pain and your joy for as long as we both shall live.  

That’s a very big way to simply say: thank you for all that you do. Through a rainy Musikfest, an insanely busy Oktoberfest, brand new events like Pizzafest and Cold Brew Hullabaloo, you’ve been there to share in the joys and the pains as ArtsQuest continues to grow. And while this breakfast is a way of celebrating the culmination of the past year, it’s very much the starting bell for the exciting years ahead as well. In 2025 we’re bringing back the Ambassador Program, we’re focusing on previously successful events to make them even better, and we’re going to work with you to make this the best and most fun volunteer program in the Lehigh Valley.  

I want you to remember every time you laughed with someone while on shift. Each time you met someone new at the Café or Levitt that you now spend time with outside of ArtsQuest. The moment you tried a new band and discovered a group you listen to still today. How you taught a new volunteer your passion at Musikfest or Christkindlmarkt and saw things click for them. That’s what we’re celebrating today. And I want you to vow with me that we’ll carry that joy and energy into the new year.  

Eat well, enjoy Christkindlmarkt, and good luck with the raffle!  

I now pronounce you appreciated volunteers.