In about two weeks, the Tellico Village Property Owners Association, in sponsorship for the first time with STAYinTV, will hold its third annual volunteer fair at the Yacht Club.
The volunteer fair is scheduled to take place 3-6 p.m. Sept. 22 on the bottom level of the Yacht Club. This year’s event is titled Discover Your Tellico Village, and the event is meant to give residents an opportunity to see what the Village has to offer in activities, clubs and organizations.
“The point of the event is just to have one place where people can come and learn about all the different opportunities in Tellico Village with the different clubs and organizations,” Beth Kuberka, POA marketing manager, said. “And then we’re always looking for people who want to be on our committees, board members, that type of thing as well.”
Kuberka said so far this year’s event has garnered participation from 24 clubs, not including the local committees and STAYinTV. In total, about 35-38 clubs or organizations have a table at the event. Kuberka said there still is room for more if clubs wish to participate.
She said the past two years have seen a gradual increase in popularity, with the last event bringing in about 20 tables and about 45 people to the fair. Hopes are this year’s fair will attract more with dinner discounts and hors d’oeuvres being offered at the event, she said.
STAYinTV will be sponsoring the fair with POA for the first time.
Linda Kaump, STAYinTV chairwoman, said previously the group the last three years has held a health expo at the Community Church at Tellico Village, but officials began to notice dwindling numbers recently, which is what led to the eventual partnership with the POA.
“So we knew that the POA had something like that, so we went to them and said, ‘How would you like to work together and to have one ... Discover Your Tellico Village for all the residents?’” she said. “And the purpose of STAYinTV getting involved is it’s an educational thing because we, of course, are working for keeping the people in Tellico Village and keeping them active, etcetera, and we felt if we had a fair that showed them what all was available for them in Tellico Village, that this might help keep them active.”
Instead of health expos, STAYinTV has now shifted its focus toward more informational events, Kaump said. No plans have been made for next year, but STAYinTV will participate in two fairs later this month with Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church and the United Way of Loudon County, she said.
At the volunteer fair, Kaump said STAYinTV will have a booth set up with fliers of various activities the group is involved in, including its home maintenance, groceries, rides and Tellico Village University programs.
“The attendance of this fair is to let everybody in the Village, not just the aged, hopefully know what they can volunteer for, organizations they can join,” Kaump said. “... That’s why we’re calling it ‘Discover Your Tellico Village.’ We’re hoping that enough people will come out and see what activities, organizations, etcetera, they can either join just to participate or volunteer for or whatever, to get them out of the house and keep them active.”
Other clubs and organizations to participate in this upcoming fair include New Villagers, Roadrunners RV Club, Art Guild of Tellico Village and the Tellico Village Cruising Club.
Kuberka said one advantage to having many clubs and organizations together is it allows residents the opportunity to have everything in one location versus having to locate a contact person.
“So everybody will have stuff that they can hand out and learn more information and then take it home with them, and then they can decide if there’s anything that they want to get more involved with,” she said.
The Volunteer Clowns of Tellico Village will be participating in this year’s fair for the first time. Club representative Kathy Kutschera said she hopes there will be people interested in joining just to have a “good time giving back to others.”
“We clown either at hospitals and cancer wards or assisted living or other events around the Village,” Kutschera said. “... It takes unique people that want to put on a red nose and have fun. We never have a bad time, and that’s what we tell people.”
Clubs or organizations interested in participating may email Kuberka at bethk@tvpoa.org.
“Just to tell people where there’s different opportunities just because volunteering is so big in Tellico Village, especially with so many new Villagers,” Kuberka said of the fair’s purpose. “They don’t really know where to go or what to get involved in, so it’s just a one-stop shop.”
