The team behind Spring Fling

Spring Fling. Since 1982, it’s been a celebration devoted to recognizing the incredible efforts of faculty, staff, graduate student staff and retirees, and on Thursday (May 22), thousands will gather around Memorial Mall for the 43rd annual event.

But before the first “Bingo!” is yelled, before the DJ plugs in their speakers and before classic vehicle owners line their entries along Oval Drive, a group of volunteers must come together to carefully plan out the celebration. It’s a process that begins each January, when the Spring Fling committee holds its first monthly meeting to discuss logistics, review the budget and brainstorm ways to enhance the event.

This year’s committee includes Kelsey Collier, Nick Crosby, Kelly Dold, Shelby Fitz, Terri Griffin, Linda Hawkins, Maddie Hodge, Kristina Lane, Nathan Rupp, Brian Smith, Rendi Tharp and Kathy Walters. They’re led by Carrie Hanson, who’s chaired the Spring Fling coordinating committee for the past 20 years.

“They have regular jobs here, and they do this work on top of it,” says Hanson, lead organizational development specialist in Human Resources. “And it is work. They have to get the stuff together, decide what’s going to happen, how we’re going to do it and then be there to work that day. And I don’t know if people always think about that.”

For the past three months, the committee has been busy organizing every single aspect of the event, and it’s a bigger job than one might imagine.

Take the 3-mile campus fitness walk, for example. It’s the committee members who design the route; select the campus building or icon to be featured on the engraved completion medal; set up tables, chairs and watercoolers along the course; help check in participants; and ensure everyone has completed by the designated time.

Meanwhile, they’re also shopping for door prizes, recruiting volunteers, placing orders for awards and T-shirts, and selecting which ice cream treats to serve attendees. The sincere care and attention to detail they put into each decision is what brings the event to life every single year.

“I love working with the committee because they love the event and understand the enormity of it,” Hanson says. “They understand how much people appreciate it. They want to make sure it’s successful. And they want to make sure it comes back every year.”

No amount of planning or preparation can tame the nervousness that arises in the days leading up to the event, but after the committee gathers at Triple XXX early Thursday morning, the anxiety will give way to excitement as they head to Memorial Mall and begin setting up tables, chairs, tents and decorations alongside their crew of volunteers.

It will prove to be another busy day for Hanson and her team, who are expecting more than 5,000 people to take part in the celebration.

And if there’s one thing Hanson is looking forward to more than visiting with colleagues she hasn’t seen in a while, it’s the moment she gets to take a brief pause on the steps of Stewart Center, where she overlooks the crowd and takes pride in knowing her team has pulled it off yet again.

“I don’t want the thanks; I would like the committee to be thanked,” Hanson says. “To me, they’re irreplaceable, and if I don’t have them, then I’m in big trouble.”

For more information about this year’s event, visit the Spring Fling website.