This year the RF Events Running Between the Vines moved from August to October, and the runners enjoyed a cool day instead of the usual very warm one. And with Halloween approaching, Sandhill Crane Vineyards was already dressed up for the Day of the Dead. There were even some zombies running!
Does one drink red wine, or white wine, with brains?
Afterward, the runners and their families stuck enjoyed snacks and wine, and live jazz music, which allowed the Green Team to collect the waste in a more relaxed and refined manner than, say, an event involving beer. With the post-event action all in the café area instead of behind it, all we needed was a station on each end within sight of each other.
As usual, the vineyard had a variety of wines for finishers to taste, with names appropriate to the season:
Snacks this time included crackers, hummus, carrots, grapes, and squares of dark chocolate. Pre-filled by race staff, they made for a pretty display, and no waiting in line at multiple tables like in previous years. Thanks in part to fewer cups and utensils, total waste was down about 15 percent, mainly in recyclables, and our landfill total of just over one pound was the lowest ever for this event.
Suggestions for improvement:
Many trays came to our stations with a lot of untouched food left in them. Naturally we saved the chocolate, but everything else went into the compost. Perhaps next year, if the same setup is used, the runners could choose what they want in their trays, and the staff can fill them?
And we need to look more carefully for ‘rogue trash cans’ – that is, ones that we don’t know about and thus fill up fast with mixed trash. Bridget spotted one near the café entrance, so we replaced it with an All Waste box. But later on I spotted another one, by then filled to overflowing. Fortunately we caught it in time to sort it before takedown.
I smell chocolate…really good chocolate…worth crawling out for…
And on the lighter side, the event attracted an Instagram influencer. Meet Muffin, the social media sensation who showed up in her glam running stroller!
Thanks to staffers Abby and Bridget and regular volunteer Jessica, we got everything sorted and weighed at the event, even the nine bags from the water stops. Much appreciated, as the Ann Arbor Marathon was the following day. Did we survive it? Find out in that report!
