LOWVELO volunteers are essential part of putting on an amazing event
Brittney Crawford (right) is returning as a LOWVELO volunteer after having a wonderful experience at the inaugural event in 2019.
LOWVELO wouldn’t be possible without volunteers. Volunteers are the lifeblood of events — they arrive early, stay late and work hard, but that doesn’t mean they don’t also have a great time.
“It was just fun!” said Brittney Crawford, research events coordinator at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, who volunteered during the inaugural LOWVELO in 2019. “I helped with setup and packet pickup, and anywhere else I was needed. I especially enjoyed watching the kids from SCSU (South Carolina State University) coming in, all excited to ride.”
Throughout high school and college, Crawford was very involved in volunteer activities in her community, so it was a no-brainer for her to get involved when she first heard about LOWVELO in 2019. Crawford is excited to be participating in LOWVELO as a volunteer again this fall.
“I definitely recommend volunteering. Everyone works together and has a great time. You get to meet people, get outside in a beautiful area, and there’s delicious, free food. That’s always a perk!” Crawford said, laughing cheerfully.
For LOWVELO21, about 500 volunteers are needed to help manage the event in areas such as setup, inventory, registration, bag check, rest stops, start and finish line. No matter what your strengths are, there is a place for you and a way you can make a difference in the lives of current and future cancer patients.
“It was a great experience,” said Shaaron Ochoa, a 4th year Ph.D. student in the MUSC College of Graduate Studies, who also volunteered for LOWVELO in 2019. “I helped out the night before the ride and the day of the ride. It was fun to guide people through the check-in process, have conversations with the riders and see how excited everyone was. And of course, it’s for a great cause.”
Ochoa shared that she found the 2019 event incredibly organized and enjoyable. Her husband participated as a rider that year, and while she was originally nervous about the logistics of the event—like what would happen if someone couldn’t finish his or her ride—her fears were calmed after seeing it from a volunteer’s perspective. The safety stations, numerous medical workers, rest stops and support vehicles all reassured her that the riders were well taken care of. Although Ochoa loves stationary cycling, she isn’t yet an experienced road rider. Still, she was so inspired by how accomplished her husband and co-workers and friends looked and felt after the ride, she decided to return to LOWVELO as a rider this year.
“It made me feel good to see how well the event was run, how safe everything was,” said Ochoa. “My husband, as well as people in my lab, really encouraged me to ride, so I signed up for the 25-mile route this year. I’m starting my training rides soon.”
If you’re not quite ready to ride, but want to be involved in LOWVELO, volunteering is the perfect way to join in on the fun. Sign up to volunteer and invite your friends to register too. Volunteers also have the option to support LOWVELO by fundraising. There is no minimum commitment for volunteers, and you have access to all of the same fundraising tools that the riders use. After you sign up to volunteer, you’ll be invited to personalize your profile page by uploading photos and sharing your story. You will also have the option to join a peloton to help that peloton reach its fundraising goal. Remember, 100% of every participant-raised dollar directly funds lifesaving cancer research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center!
