Weekly Wave -Yavapai County Gives Meaning to the Word "Community"

As the rising sun illuminated the mist rolling across the lagoon, volunteers set up under the cottonwood trees of Dead Horse Ranch State Park for the 10th Verde Valley Water Festival. Some made coffee and set up breakfast, others hauled equipment from the Arizona Project Wet trailer to the stations, and still, others unloaded boxes of giveaways, one bag per student. Looking like a multi-colored swarm of ants sporting Festival shirts from all 10 years, they knew what they were doing.

 

The dedication and commitment of the Verde Valley Water Festival committee over the last 10 years, enabled 4,894 students to increase their knowledge about water resources. To sustain this event, the committee raises funds and maintains the budget, they communicate with teachers, distribute info packets, and coordinate involvement. They train high school students to facilitate lessons, they stuff bags that contain aerators, toilet tablets, rain gauges etc., and they provide volunteers with t-shirts and all the food they can eat. They fully deserve their 10 years of excellence award!

 

At the festivals, community facilitators engage students through inquiry and exploration. More than 600 adults have contributed over 3,600 hours, a value of $79,272 (using the Independent Sector hourly rate) throughout these last 10 years. This year, Yavapai County Supervisors were in the trenches! Students clamoring to interact with the watershed models were elbow to elbow with Supervisors Thurman and Garrison, and students hauling water may have gotten Supervisor Smith's feet wet as he challenged them to work toward efficiency. The Yavapai County community is the driving and sustaining force that makes these events such a success!