Volunteers are the heart of AERC. Without them we cease to exist. Every member has talents and each of you can contribute in some way. Volunteers -- including veterinarians, ride managers and even our sponsors -- are the key components that make AERC a top-notch organization. We could not afford to pay the army of people that it takes to keep AERC afloat. Volunteers is the only way we succeed.

Here are just some of the positions that need to be filled by volunteers:

Board and committee members. We are always looking for people who are willing to serve on the board of directors or committees. AERC has elections every year, either for regional directors or directors-at-large. (Nominate yourself this September for director-at-large.)

On page 2 and 3 of every Endurance News you will see a list of committees. If you have an interest in any of the committee functions please be sure to give the committee chair or me a call.

Ride managers. We often wonder what drives people to manage endurance rides year after year but, whatever the reason, we are so thankful they are willing to continue. I would also like to encourage new ride managers. It can fun to be to show your trails to others and manage a ride like you want it to run.

Trail workers. Without trails we do not have endurance rides. Many of our members are dedicated to keeping their local trails cleared and maintained, working with their land manager in reroutes and other trail issues.

Veterinarians and their families. The ride vets give up so many of their weekends and sometimes entire weeks just to come out to vet the endurance rides. Their families also sacrifice, spending many weekends without them. We are forever thankful that they are dedicated to our sport.

Professionals. Other than our veterinarians, the professionals that we are grateful to have helped over the years include attorneys, accountants, photographers, journalists, computer technicians and many others who have taken time out of their busy work schedules for the betterment of our organization.

Ride volunteers. All ride help, including the secretaries, pulse takers, vet scribes, timers and trail spotters spend the day out in the elements so that the ride will be a success. We need this group of dedicated people every time we get together for a ride. Without them a ride manager would be pretty hard-pressed to put on any type of ride.

Sponsors. One more support group that I do not want to leave out is our sponsors. Where would AERC be without them? We are so grateful that these businesses and individuals have decided to support AERC and also the individual events.

We appreciate everyone's help in keeping AERC running smoothly. For those of you who want to join in the fun and help, give any ride manager or AERC a call. I am sure there is a job tailored just for you!