Student volunteers walk the plank

Initially, started in main organizer Linda Lockhart’s backyard, Pirates of Dollar Lake has become a big success in the Big Lake community. It also has become a major event for getting students involved in volunteer work.

Lockhart has been recruiting kids in the area to help with the running of Pirates for a few years.

“I’m not sure why so many people come to help out; they just enjoy it and like helping the community,” Lockhart stated.

There were around 100 to 120 people who volunteered this year, and according to Lockhart, there were many student volunteers, including countless home school, Big Lake Elementary and Houston Middle and Houston High School students. The students’ jobs ranged from dressing up as mermaids to being visitors’ guides.

“The elementary kids do a pretty awesome job,” Lockhart said. “All the kids do. I really admire the high school kids that come and help.”

Rebecca Toms, a junior at Houston High School, volunteered for the first time at “Pirates” this year as a visitors guide.

“I went to it a few years ago, and I really liked it and wanted to join,” she said.

To get into character, Toms said she started talking in funny voices and messed around with her younger sister.

“It was easy to get into character,” she said.

According to Toms, the best part about volunteering was getting the chance to dress up and become someone else.

“It was also fun to mess around with the people who were coming through,” said Toms. “I got lots of compliments that I made it really fun for visitors.”

Chase Henderson, a junior at HHS, also volunteered for the first time this year. Henderson played the character Captain Barbosa.

“Everyone was into their role all the time. As soon as you got into costume, you were acting so there was no real warming up,” Henderson said.

When it comes to the visitors, Henderson likes the more spooked people.

“The jumpy people are the most fun because you can make them scream,” he said.

According to Lockhart, the amount of hours worked by volunteers this year will surpass last year’s.

“I don’t have all the numbers added up yet, but it will be much more than last year,” she said. “Last year there were 4,000 hours put it by volunteers. That’s about 40 hours per person.”

Roxann Dayton, an art teacher at HHS, won free tickets and a pass to the front of the line to Pirates while at a Dog Musher’s spaghetti feast. Dayton was skeptical when she went into Pirates, but said she came out amazed.

“It was a lot better than I thought; I was impressed. It obviously took a lot of time and effort,” she said.

Camille Dayton, a student at Midnight Sun Charter School, went with her mother Roxann to see Pirates.

“She loved it. She was nervous at first because she thought she was too old for it,” Dayton said of her daughter’s experience.

Total, about 2,000 people who went to see “Pirates” this year, Lockhart said, and proceeds were donated to the Big Lake Lion’s Community and Recreation Center.

Holly Brett is a three-year journalism student and this is her first year writing for the School’s Page.