Long-time volunteers Bill Forrester (left, 14 years) and Stan Lindblom (right, 11 years) donated their time to The Salvation Army and rang the bell during last year's holiday festivities at Reynolds Market.
One of Sidney's volunteers rings The Salvation Army bell inside the Reynolds Market entryway during the 2017 holiday season.
Tuesday, October 15, during the city council meeting, mayor Rick Norby announced that Sidney would begin celebrating Extra Mile Day. According to their official website, extramileamerica.org, Extra Mile Day is a national event that celebrates the capacity we each have to create amazing and positive change in ourselves, our families, our organizations and our communities when we "go the extra mile. "It is a day to clap hard for those individuals and organizations who are "going the extra mile" in volunteerism and service in order to make a positive difference in the world. Sidney, Montana is now one of only six cities in the state that honor their volunteers in this way. In 2009, founder Shawn Anderson pedaled 4,000 miles on an ocean-to-ocean bike tour to encourage city leaders to honor volunteers that go the extra mile and November 1 was declared Extra Mile Day.
I asked Mayor Norby, about the volunteers in Sidney and Richland County. He said he has no idea how many volunteers there are. Pretty much everything that goes on out there has volunteers helping to make it happen. He personally volunteered for Meals on Wheels last week and said that "I knew there was a lot of volunteers but to see them in motion? It's something I'm very proud of." As mayor, Norby is impacted every day by volunteers but he said, "Because this is a small community, nothing out there goes without some kind of volunteerism." Everybody's life in Sidney has been impacted by volunteers. From firefighters, EMT's and the Boy's and Girl's Club Staff to committee and board members and the parents that help out with sports events, volunteers are everywhere in Sidney and Richland County.
The Extra Mile America website challenges individuals, businesses, schools and church groups to get out and volunteer November 1 as well as to honor individuals that volunteer regularly. Mayor Norby says as this is the first year Sidney is doing this, there are no events planned but he wants to do this every year so as time goes by the celebration might become more elaborate.
Reader Comments(0)