Meet the Volunteer Relations Intern

May 11, 2016
Intern's picture
By BRF Intern
I’m Kelsey Warfield, and I am the 2016 volunteer relations intern! 
 
I will be a junior at Iowa State University this fall, working towards an event management degree, with a minor in dance. I hope to someday blend these two passions by planning events for an association or nonprofit that focuses on dance.  
 
Dancing in the parade, and on numerous stages throughout the Fairgrounds was always fun, but it’s not where my love with the Iowa State Fair began. My dad will proudly tell you that he carried me all over my first Fair, because he refused to bring the stroller for a ten month old. I remember watching the Cowgirl Queen crowning in awe, sobbing at the top of the giant slide when I realized my phobia of heights, and falling in love with corn dogs. Actually, The Iowa State Fair is probably responsible for my hatred of school food that lasted until middle school. In kindergarten, we got a lunch menu for the month. I was so excited that my favorite food, corn dogs, would be one of our first meals at school. This corn dog, however, this was not at all a Campbell’s corn dog! Needless to say, I went hungry that day, and never ate a corndog outside of the Fair ever again.  Despite the school lunch fiasco, I have grown to love the Fair more and more every year.
 
This summer I will be working with all of the volunteers for our many events! This includes the Corndog Kickoff, the Fairgrounds 5K, and of course, the Iowa State Fair. I was so happy on my first day to see that I already had a full email inbox of people wanting to help! As a volunteer you help the Blue Ribbon Foundation make the most impact possible with the funds available. Our giving programs are a great way to leave your name on the fairgrounds, but I like to think that volunteering leaves just as large of an impact.  A friendly smile can change the world! If you’d like to get involved, send me an email at Kelsey@BlueRibbonFoundation.org.  I can’t wait to meet all of our incredible volunteers!
-Kelsey
 
Wax hands at the Fair (I'm on the right!)