2018 IPM Volunteers needed. (Photo courtesy of the 2018 IPM organizing committee.)2018 IPM Volunteers needed. (Photo courtesy of the 2018 IPM organizing committee.)
Chatham

Volunteers Wanted For 2018 IPM

Starting this weekend, local residents can sign up in-person to volunteer at the 2018 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM).

The event is set to run in Pain Court in September 2018. It's expected about 1,500 volunteers will be needed.

Co-chair Leon Leclair says there are opportunities for everyone looking to help out with the IPM in some way.

"We'd love it if the whole community got involved," says Leclair. "Our hope is that every corner of the community is going to be willing to work with us for hopefully the greatest show that has ever been in Chatham-Kent."

People can sign up online or by going to one of the sign up locations (listed in the chart below).

The volunteer sign-up schedule. (Photo courtesy of 2018 IPM organizing committee.)

"We want to make sure everybody has the opportunity to be involved if they want to be," he says. "The volunteer committee actually thought that would be a great way to encompass the whole community."

Leclair adds, volunteers will be needed throughout the whole process -- leading up to the IPM, during the event, and clean-up afterwards.

"There's so much to do," he says. "If you want to be involved, when you do sign up there are areas on the application form where you can say what your forte is or what you would like to be involved in."

Some members of the 2018 IPM committee went to Huron County this past week during the 2017 IPM. By seeing the process there, Leclair says they're able to notice the do's and don'ts in pulling off this type of event.

"It's going to make our job a lot easier," he says. "There's a lot of work -- a lot of tasks need to be done, but we've gained a lot of experience through this."

The 2018 IPM is scheduled from September 18-22, 2018.

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