Hops and Props—Another Fun Experience
By Alexa Belanger, EAA Collegiate Volunteer
March 2016 - I love volunteering for EAA, and any time I can share that experience with others is an exciting time for me. During Hops and Props, I had the unique opportunity to volunteer with several of my sorority sisters and was able to show them the friendliness and kindness that everyone involved with EAA seems to have. Our task for the night was serving the food and beer to all of the guests who attended the VIP dinner and helping with the cleanup afterward.
Escorted to our location by the kind Bill Johnston, we were unsure of what exactly to expect when serving a VIP dinner. Most of us had arrived with little to no serving experience and were worried about what exactly we had gotten ourselves into as they explained how the night was going to work. As it turns out, we had nothing to worry about because with the help of the VIP caterer’s staff and experience of other volunteers, we were able to work quickly and efficiently to serve a five-course meal in only an hour and half. We got the opportunity to speak with the representative from Avery Brewing Company, joke around with the chefs, interact with the guests, and dramatically increase our knowledge in how to pronounce Liliko’i Kepolo.
Perhaps the part we all enjoyed the most was just interacting with the other volunteers around us. We were able to learn about how they became involved with EAA, and we made friends with them throughout the night. It didn’t seem to matter that we were just college students; they provided guidance from their previous years volunteering at the event and treated us more like friends than just volunteers.
Serving the VIP dinner was an amazing opportunity to experience Hops and Props in a way that only a few are allowed to view. It was high energy, and we were constantly moving to make sure everything was done in a timely manner. By the end of the night, we were tired and our feet were sore, but our spirits were high. It is an experience that we will all remember, and one that we hope to repeat in the future.
