West Side Arts

• Saturday, September 16 | West Side Park

5 Volunteers — Help with set-up and booth-sitting.

West Side Arts Signup >>

Flannel Fest

• Saturday, October 14 – Sunday, October 15 | Centennial Park

100 Volunteers — Help with this two-day fall festival. Help with ticket sales, vendor set up, games, and much more. Multiple shifts available.

Flannel Fest Volunteer Sign-Up >>

Nightmare on Grove Street

• Saturday, October 21 | 11a-3p | Douglass Community Center

20 – 30 Volunteers — Help run games and activities.

Nightmare on Grove Street Volunteer Sign Up >>

Halloween Funfest

• Wednesday, October 25 | 3-9p | Market Place Mall

100 Volunteers — Help set up, run activity stations throughout the mall, organize kids in the costume contest, and do crafts with the thousands of kids that attend the event.

Halloween Funfest Volunteer Sign Up>>

Dia de los Muertos Celebration

• Thursday, November 2 | 5:30-7:30p | Martens Center

100 Volunteers — Help set up, run activity stations throughout the mall, organize kids in the costume contest, and do crafts with the thousands of kids that attend the event.

Dia de los Muertos Volunteer Sign Up>>

CUSR Cupcake 5K

• Sunday, November 5 | 7:45a – 12p | Carle at the Fields

25 Volunteers — Help set up and work water stations for the annual fundraiser for the CUSR Scholarship Fund

Winter Nights

• November 24 | Prairie Farm

Volunteer to help serve hot chocolate at an incredible show of lights.

Santa’s Workshop

• Saturday, December 9 | 1-2:30p | Douglass Community Center

5 Volunteers — Help run activities and games.

Holiday in Whoville

• Sunday, December 10 | 11a-5p | Virginia Theatre

10 Volunteers — Help with activities, trolley rides, photos with Santa and the Grinch.

Sports Coaches – Are you passionate about sports? Be a volunteer coach and share your love of the game with kids in the community. In our youth sports programs, we believe that winning has less to do with the scoreboard and more to do with core values of Sportsmanship, Opportunity, Fun and Instruction.

Complete our Youth Sports Coach Volunteer Application today! >>

Special Events – We have a variety of opportunities available at numerous events throughout the year. Help sell tickets at Taste of Champaign-Urbana, become Santa for one night to make children smile, stuff and scatter Easter eggs, and more.

Prairie Farm – Volunteers are needed May – August that love to work with animals and want to learn all about life down on the farm.

Virginia Theatre – Do you like movies, concerts, comedians, and plays? If so, the Virginia is the perfect place for you to volunteer! Act as an usher, take tickets, work in concessions and merchandise sales, and act as crowd control as needed.

CUSR – Champaign-Urbana Special Recreation is looking for fun energetic people to help with everything from one-time special events to weekly Special Olympics sports practices to daily after school programs.

Cultural Arts – We have a variety of programs from pottery to belly dancing that can always use a helping hand. We also invite instructors to volunteer their time to teach art classes of their own.

Preschool – Our early childhood programs include our art-focused Art Smart Kids, our kindergarten readiness program, Busy Bees, and our relaxed activities program, Creative Playtime. We also need help in the summer months with our kids ages 3-6!

Summer Explorers/Afterschool programs – Our summer explorers and afterschool programs are looking for responsible leaders to help with daily activities. We host summer explorers at Douglass Community Center, Leonhard Recreation Center, and Springer Cultural Center. Champaign-Urbana Special Recreation also needs volunteers to help with their summer and afterschool programs.

50 Plus! – The 50 Plus! program is always looking to volunteers to help with games, activities, potlucks, and more at Hays Recreation Center and Douglass Annex.

Other Programs:

If you are at least 13 years of age, enthusiastic, hardworking, and willing to learn, we can coordinate volunteer hours for you. This is a great opportunity to acquire new skills, gain valuable work experience, and complete high school volunteer hours.
Teen volunteers are only permitted to work a maximum of 25 hours per week.

A waiver must be printed, signed and mailed/dropped off:

Volunteer Coordinator
Hays Recreation Center
1311 W. Church St., Champaign IL 61821

• Teen Volunteer Waiver

For more information, please contact volunteer@champaignparks.org or 217-819-3926.