March 17, 2026| Events, People
By: John Hanna
For those that know me through the Lake Hopatcong Foundation or personally, don’t worry, I’m ‘still John’ - and while this is only my second year as the volunteer coordinator for the annual Lake Hopatcong Block Party - happening on Saturday, May 16 at Hopatcong State Park – I’m really enjoying my role and getting the hang of it! When I’m not volunteering for the Block Party, I’m also an educator for the Lake Hopatcong Foundation field trips in the spring and fall and aboard Study Hull, aka the Floating Classroom, helping with public eco-cruises in the summer (we’re always looking for volunteers for these programs too!).
My ‘job’ as Block Party Volunteer Coordinator? This year I’ve redesigned the online sign-up form and created a new, simplified workbook for assigning volunteers to their ‘stations’. I’ve also created an email merge for notifying volunteers of their assignment and made a system for sending the ‘Volunteers-In-Charge’ (VICs) their volunteer list for each station. One or more VICs (there are about 20) are the ‘station managers’ at the Block Party throughout the day and most have been doing it for a long time. In short, there’s a lot of “behind the scenes” work that happens to make the Block Party come to life!
The first Lake Hopatcong Block Pary happened back in 2014. This popular, free, public event draws thousands of visitors from far and wide each spring to celebrate the Lake Hopatcong community, shop from local businesses, learn about local organizations, and enjoy family-friendly activities. Like many of the Foundation’s programs, volunteers are the heart and soul of the Block Party!
And when it comes to the 2026 Block Party, we need volunteers like you to! We need your help managing the entrance gate and parking in the State Park; directing vendors to the approximately 260 booths in the early morning time slot; assisting at some special Foundation booths; selling 50/50 raffle tickets; assisting with the free Miss Lotta cruises (help needed by land and by “sea”); and, of course, helping to breakdown all the equipment at the end of the day! Some volunteers are also needed on Friday afternoon to help prepare the park for the big bash. Fun fact? Last year, there were 95 volunteers signed up for 159 time slots at 13 different stations. You can find all the station descriptions on the online sign-up page, and if you have a preference, you are encouraged to include that in your signup. In total, there are four time slots available on Saturday between 7AM and 6PM. You can sign up for one “slot” or multiple slots, all at once.
There’s no experience necessary to become a Block Party volunteer, although we do ask you to come to one, quick training at Hopatcong State Park on Thursday, May 14. There, you’ll receive a very cool T-shirt, as our thanks for helping out and to help identify you as a volunteer on the big day. When you volunteer, you’re also contributing to the success of an outstanding non-profit organization, to which I’m proud to belong, looking after the lake and supporting the surrounding communities. This year, for the very first time, I plan to email all volunteers their final assignment, ahead of the training, in order to reduce paper consumption. Help me by signing up early! Wish me luck, and I truly hope to see you at this year’s Block Party!
