I recently volunteered for the one805 Live! Event in September 2023:

A friend of mine had asked me in 2022 if I wanted to help with the second event and then I forgot about it. This year, I remembered and asked my friend how I could help. She asked for some help with the food.That I can do. It started off with a little help here and there and then somehow I was immersed in it and I was able to volunteer with the organization, doing what I do best (or at least what I think I do best) – connecting people with food. The event quickly grew from a couple hundred guests to a couple thousand-ish. One one805 Live! was able to announce that Maroon 5 was headlining – the guest count was on the rise!

So many guests, so many opinions, so little time…

People love to talk, post, comment and I have heard both great and not as great things reported about the event. Of course, not everyone had the inside behind the scenes view. They don’t actually know how much went into all aspects of the event. Regardless, I love to hear people’s opinions of things.

Whether you had something to complain about or not at least the sentiments about the event are all the same. The organization raises money for a great cause. As someone who was personally involved in the event. Seeing what has gone on and all of the people who volunteered to make the event happen, I am really proud of it.

Small kinks in the plan, make for more fun

While not everything went according to the exact plan, of course there were some kinks in the road. I mean when isn’t there a snafoo of some kind? You gotta stay alert and remember to pivot.  Personally, I think part of the experience is the adventure of getting to an event and then also leaving the event and going home.  When everyone leaves together, there is this energy. The energy of being together, basking in the energy of a shared experience. Reflecting on what just happened and why all these people came together. At the end of events, I get that little bit of letdown. A little relieved. A little sad. A lot exhausted. So exhausted, I can’t sleep. One805 Live! definitely achieved all the feelings.

We come together to support and raise money and awareness for first responders:

The One805 Live! event not only raised money for $ for more supplies but also for first responder’s mental health awareness and support. I think qw forget or don’t realize how much the first responders endure. They see, handle and carry weights on their shoulders that most of us don’t know about.

Honestly, I don’t know if I was ever fully aware of how much our first responders go through. In 2018, just before the fires, my amazing husband decided he wanted to volunteer for SBC Search and Rescue and went to an info session. As I recall (and I probably recall incorrectly) there were only a handful of people of the session. After the floods, there were a lot more people looking into it. Volunteer SAR is not just for anyone. It is volunteer based and there are so many hours of training and sign offs and other things my husband talks about that I can’t retain. I will say that sometimes, as a business owner, mom, glutton for punishment person, I feel like I need some saving, but really, I have a whole new respect for all first responders. I am in awe of the their team and all first responders and what they do.

Wanna donate?! Of course you do!

To donate to SBC SAR – Click Here

To donate to One805 – Click here

Thank you for reading my novel. There will be more on this in the future, I am sure. Don’t forget to book your walking food and drink tour today!