When Bill Dodd first heard about the plan to hold WaterFire in Sharon, he wondered, like many, if it could work.
“Then I said to myself, ‘What kind of person doubts whether something is going to be a success and doesn’t try to get involved?’”
So he went to an informational meeting for volunteers and his role has grown from a boat captain to the man behind the WaterFire Website.
Bill and his wife Patty live in one of the Victorian homes Sharon’s West Hill was once known for. Theirs is beautifully restored and also home to Bill’s Mud-Hut Studios. Patty grew up in Sharon and Bill was raised in Corry, Pa. After working for IBM and a stint in the Congo with the Peace Corps, Bill visited Sharon for the Bavarian Fun Fest and thought Sharon would be a cool place to live. He hopes WaterFire could create the same sort of draw for others looking for a great, small city to work and live in. Bill’s using his expertise in media product and content management to help WaterFire get the word out about all the different things to see and do at the three summer events.
Patty volunteers her time, too. She’s worked the information desk, wrapping torches and as a fire tender. At first she wasn’t sure what to expect but Patty was pleasantly surprised.
“Everyone was so friendly! They made you feel so welcome,” she said.
Finding a group of community-minded people willing to share their time and talents was heartening for the couple. Bill noted everyone works together and supports each other.
“It’s amazing,” Patty said, noting that it’s hard to believe they didn’t know anyone else involved in the project. “And it isn’t just a Sharon thing.”
People come from all around the region to see the braziers lit on the river, but they also come to help in the months leading up to the summer spectacular, the Dodds said. They stack wood, build boats and do anything asked of them. The camaraderie is great, but the payoff is the lighting ceremony, which the Dodds so far have taken part in from the water.
“On the boat is either the best seat in the house or the worst seat in the house – we can’t tell which,” Bill said with a laugh.
You’re up close with the flames dancing on the water and can see the response of the people along the riverbank. Once the initial awe wears off and the crowd disperses, there are still folks who stay the rest of the night to relax with friends and soak up the ambience. “They’re the ones who really get it,” Bill said. And the volunteers get it, too. Without them, WaterFire couldn’t happen. This is why organizers are always looking for more people to get involved in all aspects.
“No matter what happens with WaterFire, by far and away the best thing that’s happened is the formation of like-minded people who are convinced that we can improve our community,” Bill said. “It may sound hyperbolic, but it did change our lives because of the new friends we met and the new way in which we view the valley.”
The Dodds said there is hope and a new fire in the Shenango Valley they haven’t seen in the past.
