Thank you to all those who helped make last night's (April 24) volunteer meeting something truly special. In 2006, more volunteers, donors, workshop attendess, and audience members came to Centrum for life-changing experiences than ever before in the history of the 35-year-old history of the organization. And if last night is any indication, 2007 will raise the bar even higher.

Kicking off the volunteer seminer, Sally Rodgers presented an orientation for new volunteers in the southern wing of Building 204. Afterward, Centrum's newest volunteers joined with returning volunteers in the northern wing to sample fruit and cheese and crackers, while enjoying wine. Then, Sue Ammeter, Daniel Barnes, and John Allen gave presentations on how best to assist Centrum audience members who are living with visual, physical, or hearing disabilities. We are so grateful to all of our presenters and the volunteers who donate their time, energies, and skills to making the extraordinary, life-changing artistic events possible at Centrum.

The number of volunteers grew from 282 in 2005 to 335 in 2006 as community members gave a total of 7,900 volunteer hours in remodeling  artist housing, taking tickets at performances, stuffing envelopes, registering workshop participants, and fundraising. "That's a 23% increase in volunteer hours," said volunteer coordinator Sally Rodgers, "and it's interesting how closely that growth corresponds to the overall increase in Centrum revenues.

"I am in awe of this community's generosity," says Centrum's executive director, Thatcher Bailey. "There is no arts institution in the Pacific Northwest blessed with anywhere near this same relative level of support."