The Skull 120 Gravel Grind needs your help for this weekend’s bicycle race.

If you’re interested, contact Tory Schmidt at the Harney County Chamber of Commerce for more information at (541) 573-2636 or email director@harneycounty.com. Click here to sign up online.

Volunteers are needed in the following positions:

Aid stations

Volunteers for aid stations must be at their station until all riders have passed through. They should bring their own water bottles and camping chairs. Tables will be provided. 

Prepare for hot or cold weather. (We did have hail one year.) You are welcome to use the water and snacks provided for riders at the stations. 

First Aid kits will be available for minor injuries, but all stations will report to a HAM radio operator in case of emergency. Aid station volunteers will also communicate to a HAM radio operator when the last rider has passed their station. 

Volunteers will be handing out food and helping participants get water and HEED electrolyte mix generously donated by Hammer Nutrition. 

You must be available at some time on Friday, June 18 to come to the chamber office (it can be after 5 p.m. if needed) to see the staging area and find out how many items you will need to transport. 

You’re welcome to decorate your aid station as much or as little as you’d like! Katie Rhode (local Bureau of Land Management geologist and Adventure Harney member) offered a $100 prize for the best aid station (as determined by the riders). Bring music or extra treats to make your station stand out! We want to make this a fun experience for the riders, but also for our volunteers. This position is the most critical, as well as the most needed of our volunteer groups.

Route support

Volunteers will need adequate vehicles/means to reach parts of the route. 

They will be stationed at specific points throughout the race to provide assistance if needed, or to direct riders at difficult-to-see junctions. 

Plan for hot or cold weather. You will be on the route until all riders in your races have passed through. You will be notified by Search and Rescue that they are relieved as they do passes between aid stations. 

All riders will pass through some areas, and only some will pass through others. Route support is welcome to photograph riders, or do any type of recording. 

This is a great spot for people who would like to cheer on and watch the race up close and personal.

Day-before prep

Volunteers will be preparing food items on Friday, June 18 for the upcoming race. The water containers will also need to be filled. 

There will be small odds and ends that need tied up, as well as help at the chamber office getting last-minute registrants signed up.

Timing station

Timers will have specific shifts. This position requires people who can work quickly and multitask. Occasionally, timers will be required to record the race, bib numbers, and times for multiple riders at once. There will be certain times of day when multiple timers will be needed. 

A tent, table, and chairs will be provided. Please bring your own water bottle and snacks. 

Timers are set at 30 minute intervals, but volunteers are asked to be there between two to three hours to provide consistency and less turnover time.

Event set up

At 7 a.m. on race day (Saturday, June 19) we need volunteers to help transport items — like tables/chairs, event tents, and hand-washing stations — from the chamber office to Triangle Park. 

The items will be heavy. Trucks or trailers are preferred, but large SUVs would also be helpful. Volunteers would then be asked to set up these items.

Event take down

Volunteers would need to report to Triangle Park around 6 p.m. to help take down event tents, tables, chairs, etc. and return them to the chamber office. 

Not all riders may be in at this point, but we will take down most items and either transport them to the After Party (if needed) or back to the chamber office. Again, items will be heavy.