"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This past weekend, I was a volunteer for a celebration in Boston. I wasn't in charge, and I wasn't under much stress or pressure. I was a JAG -just another guy, who stepped up to help.

I was surrounded by caring people performing under intense pressure, and hundreds of VIPs, and dozens of public safety officials, and a myriad of others who were intimately involved in putting on a once in a lifetime event.

Like a lot of volunteer experiences in my life, I was surprised when it was over that I ended up getting more than I gave. Because I had time to watch, time to appreciate, time to listen, time to reflect, and time to engage. The day after the event, I sat down and put on paper my observations at the speed of life.

I Like the Way it Makes Me Feel

Years ago, I was having a glass of Pinot Noir at the home of Gary, a member of the Board of Directors for the non-profit that I led in New England. I asked him why he ‘volunteered’ his time, treasure, and talent in addition to his dedication to the mission. He simply said: ‘I like the way it makes me feel.’ 

Over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, I volunteered for events around the unveiling of a 22-foot bronze sculpture on Boston Common dedicated to the memory of Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King. I’m here to report, I liked the way it made me feel.

The Embrace Memorial is an artistic impression of the hug that Martin Luther King, Jr received from his wife when he learned he won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. The photo above shows how she is holding him up, an important nuance, because this memorial is to both of them and the roles they both played in changing the world.

Why Boston?

You may ask, ‘Why Boston?’ for a memorial sculpture to the Kings. In the early fifties, Dr. King attended Boston University to work on his doctorate and met his future wife, Coretta Scott King, who attended the New England Conservatory of Music. That’s the first answer to ‘Why Boston?’

On April 23, 1965, Dr. King led the first Civil Rights March in the Northeast. More than 20,000 people marched from Roxbury to Boston Common, the oldest public park in America, where he gave a speech from the Parkman Bandstand. That’s the second answer to ‘Why Boston?’

Nationally, Boston has not enjoyed the best reputation when it comes to race relations, much of it valid and some of it dating to the 70’s when a federal judge mandated the integration of public schools. Parts of the community met the order with resistance, some of it violent. The third answer to ‘Why Boston?’ might be as a symbol of the distance the city has come since those days. 

Why Volunteer?

The Embrace Boston team worked with The Castle Group, an agency specializing in event management, public relations, public affairs, and social media to promote and produce the events that included the unveiling.

The Principals of Castle, Sandy Lish, and Wendy Spivak (pictured here) were long time volunteers for the non-profit I managed, (Sandy was the Chair for several years) probably because of the way it made them feel, so I naturally wanted to volunteer for them.

Since I recently completed Situational Leadership workshops for more than thirty members of the Castle Group and got to know almost the entire team, I wanted to be involved in case they could use a 71-year-old guy who knew his ass from his elbow about events and wasn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves.

Finally, I knew this was a massive event, the kind where you couldn’t have too much help, and I was right.

The Unveiling

Volunteer orientation started with the kind of 'thank you for volunteering today' messages from Danielle, a vice-president at Castle, that was so sincere I already felt good, and I hadn't done anything yet!

The small team I was on would be working the area where the public would view the unveiling on LED screens in front of the same Parkman Bandstand, where Dr. King gave that speech decades ago.

However, before the event even started, an older woman (look who’s talking, Ed), made a minor scene in front of the bandstand about not being able to get into the secured area.

She was dressed in biker gear, but didn’t have a motorcycle, just a bicycle, but with the headband and jacket and chains.

She looked tough in her gear and had that harsh voice that some mothers have, if you know what I mean. Our group leader from Castle, Jen, was tactfully engaging her. Trying to help, I handed the woman a free hat. Who doesn’t calm down when they get a free hat. I would see this same woman, again and again.

I was given an ugly green colored (I think) volunteer hat, a lanyard with the word ‘Volunteer’ on it and assigned to help distribute the 2,000 nicer hats with the Embrace logo on them to the public attending the event. Well within my skillset.

Some people, including the biker woman, were arriving to the sold-out event thinking they could get inside. However, they could only watch from the grassy area in front of the Parkman on the screens. Most were accepting, but a few were not.

I planted myself with a dozen hats close to the South Entrance of the secured area because I figured that those unable to get in would naturally walk down the hill to the public viewing area, and if I could greet them with a hat and a smile, it might make things better for everyone. And that’s what it did. I think the hat was more effective than the smile, but who knows?

I distributed hundreds of hats and what made it special for me is that each time I handed out a hat, I had the chance to look people in their eyes and see:

• Their excitement at being there.
• Their gratitude at getting a surprise gift.
• Their disappointment partially dissolve when I took the time to explain what was going on. (Could have been the boyish charm, we'll never know.)

I really liked the way it made me feel. 

Oh yeah, I also gave hats to the NBC 10 crew, the tech crew, the security people, the doorman of the hotel across the street, and a couple of homeless people who wandered by. And that woman in the biker gear, came by again and I gave her another hat. Much calmer.

One of the women on the tech crew managing the AV at the Parkman really wanted my ugly green hat, and I wanted to hand it to her, but I couldn’t give it up because it was a visibility sign for anyone needing directions. 

The diversity of the crowd reminded me of the diversity of the City. 

It was a mix of young and old, all skin colors and nationalities. Some had very stylish hats, others had ragged clothing. There were kids and walkers and wheelchairs. I am familiar with Dr. King’s dream, and at least part of it was on display before the unveiling. 

For two hours, thousands of people inside (and seated under tents) and an equal number outside, were spellbound as speaker after speaker talked about the Kings, the monument, the City of Boston, and peace and love. I liked the way it made me feel.

Once all the hats were distributed, I was free to roam, and my ugly hat and credentials made no area off limits to me. So, I roamed. I had been standing up for about six hours, with only a couple of times to sit down. I found a cement block holding up one of the tents and sat on it for about 30 minutes of the program, just taking it all in.

The Awesomeness

This event covered acres and acres of space on the Common. There were about 30 members of the Castle team and 60 volunteers, to go with dozens of media, dozens of technical people, lots of security personnel, and dozens of others doing things behind the scenes that need to be done for a big event that is going to be televised and live streamed around the world.

With a couple of Security Tents, a Warming Tent, a Volunteer Tent, a Staff Tent, Two General Admission Ticket Tents, an Honoree Tent, several Media Tents, a Stage, a Big Screen and a giant plastic tarp covering the Embrace monument, this event was bigger than any I had been involved in.

For hours before the event started, the collective assemblage was already inspired and motivated and cooperating and smiling and helpful. 

We all sort of knew, even if it was not expressed verbally, that we were part of a once in a lifetime event, and not only was it going to be awesome, but we already liked the way it made us feel, regardless of whether we were on the clock or volunteering.

I’m sure the event staff saw 1,000 little things and probably some big things go wrong, but to the volunteers and guests it was pretty much flawless and very inspiring. 

It was also personally inspiring to know that that people I was working with were making this work and to see them in action, rather than simply in a conference room or an office, was even awe-some-er, if that is a word.

When the formal program ended and the sculpture was unveiled, I hustled back to my location outside the South exit in case anyone needed directions to the post-event reception at the Park Plaza Hotel, several blocks away.

I did see the biker lady for the third time, trying to get inside with her bike, but security turned her away one more time. At least she had two hats.

As I was watching people file out, a surprising thing happened. Standing there with my ugly hat and volunteer badge for about 30 minutes, a half-dozen attendees stopped and thanked me for volunteering for the event. 

You know what I told them don’t you? I’m here because I like the way volunteering makes me feel.

Once most of the crowd thinned out, I thought I would go see the star of the show, the Embrace. I wandered around and thought of this permanent part of a 400-year-old park.

My memories of Boston Common include living across the street in the 70s, going into the Frog Pond splash area as a kid, playing softball on the ball field with my team from a restaurant, waiting for the BAA 5K and 10K races to start in recent years, and walking through on the way to the State House dozens of times.

And now I had another memory. I was there for the unveiling of the Embrace. An experience that I will always remember.

Walking back to the garage, the AV tech who wanted my hat earlier in the day pulled up beside me in her car as she was hauling the equipment away and asked if she could now have my hat. I gladly gave it to her. It was so unlikely we'd be in that spot at the same time. She said to me ‘everything happens for a reason.’ 

And I was thinking to myself, that I liked the way giving that hat away made me feel and that things do happen for a reason. At the end of the day, Boston embraced Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King in a manner for the ages, and I was proud to be a Bostonian and I liked the way the day made me feel.