Third annual volunteer fair bigger than ever

Tara Lee Cashel has set an example for the hundreds who attended Wednesday's third annual Carson City Volunteer Fair in the Community Center gym.

She returned to the United States at the end of October after 26 months volunteering in community development for the Peace Corps. Cashel, from Spokane, Wash., then found a spot with Americorps Vista and now works in Carson with the nonprofit group Health Smart.

"We're just trying to get the word out on tobacco prevention," she said from her table at the fair.

The fair has grown from 14 tables its first year to 26 this year.

At the table behind Chashel Wednesday were Carson City sheriff's deputies Ken Sanders and Rick Keema.

"We've got a new program we're getting ready to launch very, very soon," said Sanders, describing "volunteers in policing" options ranging from civilian police academies to citizen parking patrols and filing.

"We can't win this war without the community's involvement," he said.

"That's the bottom line," Keema said. "We fully realize we can't do it ourselves."

The volunteer fair was organized by Pauline Kiser of the Community Council on Youth. She said the Community Center offered the use of the gym for free.

"That's how we were able to offer it to the organizations for free, the public gets in for free and The Salvation Army is offering food for free."

Serving hot dogs, chili, nachos and drinks from their mobile kitchen were the Carson City and Douglas corps of The Salvation Army with help from the Reno group.

"We want to get people in a better mood on a full stomach to volunteer more," said Alex King, business administrator for The Salvation Army in Reno.

Enjoying the chili was Hannah Lang, 15, of Carson High School.

"It's spectacular," she smiled. She and Erica Wallent, 14, were there to promote the school's Stand Tall, Don't Fall group and look for volunteers.

With Alcohol Awareness month coming up in April, the group plans rallies with raffle prizes including an electric guitar and door prizes including movie tickets.

With a sign-up sheet for volunteers in front of them, they described an upcoming program called "Gotcha!" which involves students posing as underage drinkers asking people to buy alcohol for them.

If the person agrees, they give them a card reading "Gotcha!" with the laws they are breaking printed on the back. If they decline, they get a card reading "You're a superstar -- Thank you for not supplying alcohol to a minor."

Other groups seeking volunteers this year were the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada, the Bob Boldrick Theater group, the Maverick Lions Club and the Nevada Wildlife Federation.

Sheriff Kenny Furlong made an appearance, getting caught on film for the first episode of Norine Krulevitch's public access television show, "Variety Artists Tonight," which will air in a few weeks on Channel 10.