Rock & Rails Volunteer of the Week: Jason Champion

Local teenager Jason Champion loves two things: the environment and Rock & Rails. So, if you go looking for him on a Thursday night during the summer, a good place to start is on top of an eco-cycle bin at Whistle Stop Park.

“When I came here the first time, I absolutely loved it,” the Boulder Country Day seventh-grader said. He credits a school project for bringing him to the weekly concert series initially. “So, I kept on volunteering. It’s an amazing place.”

Champion is a regular on the Rock & Rails gargoyle detail, helping concertgoers “with compost and recyclables,” from atop his conspicuous post. Gargoyles also help with set-up and take down of the venue’s numerous wheeled waste bins, which Champion admits is his least favorite task. However, he does enjoy “floating,” a more freestyle form of performing gargoyle duties.

“It helps people learn a little bit more about the environment and what goes where,” he said. “You could say it’s a fun job, but mostly I just do it because I like helping out people and the environment.”

Champion hopes his positive experiences at the weekly concerts will encourages others to hop on the volunteering bandwagon.

“Anyone can volunteer here if they want to,” he said. “Younger kids can be gargoyles and older people can be volunteers. It helps out Rock & Rails a lot, and helps keep Niwot active and exciting.”