You’ve Done the Challenge…Now What?!
By Laura Portée
March 2007

That was the question my husband Michael and I asked ourselves after completing the Challenge in 2000.  Don’t misunderstand…it was a great thrill doing and completing the Challenge - at Sea Girt with only 20 minutes to spare!  But as we visited each site, we began to think of the volunteers who gave up their chance to do it so that we could and we wondered…What if we volunteered at a site so that others could take the Challenge?  Well, we volunteered at Barnegat in 2001 and have been doing so ever since.  As I’ve said, it was a great thrill to do the Challenge but what we discovered was:  Volunteering is a BLAST!!!

We were fairly new to the Society at that time.  This gave us the opportunity to get to know other members.  We began to feel that we belonged; not only to the Society but also to something much bigger and more important than us.  As a result of our time at Barnegat, we have met many wonderful people and developed lasting friendships for which we are grateful.

And what a kick it is to see and meet the Participants!  The excitement on their faces as they begin their quest; the harried frenzy as it gets to closing time on Day 1 and they try to get that one last lighthouse before stopping for some well deserved rest; the excitement (not to mention, relief and exhaustion) when they have completed.  We came to realize that, in essence, we were doing the Challenge with each and every one!  Because of their enthusiasm, we just cannot help but get caught up in it.

Volunteering for that weekend has become our Challenge; it is always a new and unfolding experience:  something new to learn and share, new people to meet and get to know, finding new ways to battle the elements and fatigue of a very rewarding weekend. So whether you are handing out souvenirs, counting participants, selling T-Shirts and pins, meeting and greeting the public, educating them about the Challenge, New Jersey’s lighthouses or the Society, each and every volunteer is a valuable asset necessary for the success of the Challenge. Are you ready for the next Challenge?  Yes?  Then volunteer at a site today!

© 2008 NJLHS