SVC Work Party 5/18/2024
Our intrepid volunteers gathered on a soggy Saturday in May from 1 - 3 to continue making progress on the test build of the Snoqualmie Valley Carousel. Every month the carousel team holds a work party, which is a great opportunity to get your hands dirty, meet some fun and interesting people in the valley, and help figure out how to bring the carousel to life. This weekend’s goal was to move more of the heavy carousel pieces from storage and into the work site, preparing to stand the Center Pole later in the summer. Some work parties involve moving heavy objects while others focus on art or restoration. Thanks again to all the volunteers who joined in on Saturday, we were only able to finish because of everyone’s hard work!
Volunteers started at the storage site while the sun was shining, carefully loading up some of the heavier mechanical pieces onto a long trailer. Most of these pieces were wooden beams weighing between 200 and 400 pounds, along with an even heavier cast iron gearshaft. Dense antique lumber makes for hard lifting, but thanks to a local heavy machinery operator the volunteers were able to load the trailer in record time.
For the second half of the work party, the volunteers trucked the pieces to the work site and unloaded the trailer without the heavy machinery, which took some real muscle and quite a bit of ingenuity. Moving these pieces by hand took a lot of communication and it was all hands-on deck. With some time and grit, the volunteers were successful in unloading all of the pieces and even got ahead a little by rolling the beams into their test fit location. Momentum is really building at the work site as more and more pieces of our gigantic heavy puzzle are fitting into place.
We are always looking for more volunteers, and not just to move heavy carousel pieces. No matter who you are there are opportunities to help with which ever skills make you special. We have openings on Machinery, Restoration, Fundraising, Art and Carving. If you are interested in our project, please sign up on this website and join in the fun! It has never been a better time to volunteer. And if volunteering your time isn’t possible, consider becoming a sustaining member to help us continue the restoration work we do.