Taste of Cayman Food & Drink Festival organisers recognised this year’s event volunteers recently at a thank you party hosted by sponsor Margaritaville.

“With this being both one of CITA’s and the Cayman Islands’ largest events, we wouldn’t have been able to have had such a successful and widely enjoyed festival without our amazing team of volunteers,” Ms. Tiffany Dixon-Ebanks, Executive Director of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) said.

“These volunteers don’t do it for praise or accolades, but simply for our community and to help make the festival the best that it can be.”

“The nearly 200 volunteers worked extremely hard, both in the weeks leading up to the event as well as on the actual night, so our volunteer party is our small way of being able to thank them for all the time and effort they put in,” Ms. Dixon-Ebanks said.

Planning has already begun for Taste of Cayman’s 30th year anniversary in 2018.

Ms. Dixon-Ebanks encourages more people to get involved in volunteering for Taste of Cayman.

“We are well served by the volunteers who continue to contribute to this great festival and have done so for many years. However there is always opportunity for more to join.”

“There are a range of roles available, whether it’s on the frontline or those important behind the scenes roles ranging from pre-event and gate staff to bartenders and cashiers. Every single one of these roles is important and valued, and we were glad to recognise our volunteers’ invaluable contribution at the appreciation party.”

Several long-standing volunteers and supervisors received special awards to recognize their extraordinary efforts.

“So many of our volunteers went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that this year’s event was the biggest and tastiest that it has ever been,” Ms. Dixon-Ebanks said.

Taste of Cayman volunteer, Ms Jane Peck said volunteering at Taste of Cayman was an interesting, rewarding and fun experience.

“Volunteering is a great way to give back to the Cayman community,” she said. “I feel like I am making a real difference to people’s enjoyment of the festival — all while learning new skills and making fantastic friends”

“Volunteering at Taste gives you an insight into what goes in to organising and managing a major event.”

Ms Peck encouraged others to volunteer for the 2018 Taste of Cayman. “In most cases, no prior experience is necessary, and training is provided.”

Margaritaville not only hosted the volunteer party but also served as the volunteer sponsor for Taste of Cayman 2017.

“We are happy to have been able to have so many people proudly wear the Margaritaville logo as they helped to make this year’s Taste of Cayman one of the best yet,” Andre Boswell, Senior Sales & Business Development Manager at Margaritaville, said.

“It was our pleasure to host this year’s volunteer party to appreciate and recognise the hard working Taste of Cayman volunteers.”