People choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. For some it offers the chance to give something back to the community or to make a difference to the people around them. For others it provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experiences.
Meet Bill Lind
Bill started volunteering in March 2016 after a conversation at church with Melanie (another loyal Rock Steady Boxing volunteer). Melanie’s husband Pat has Parkinson’s disease. He participates in our boxing class and also volunteers for our program. One morning Bill came to see a class in person, and he started helping out right away. Ever since then Bill has been very active with our program and volunteers for multiple classes throughout the week. His wife says he comes home just like a little kid who had a really good play date.
One of Bill’s duties includes arriving early to help set up for class. He also greets our fighters and helps organize them as they enter the gym. His eyes and ears provide an extra assistance to the lead coach during class. At “Bill’s Station” he swings one of the hanging bags around to help the fighters maneuver and strike. This helps them with their reaction time, balance, and footwork. He also assists the fighters with putting on their gloves and other smaller tasks. His favorite part of volunteering is seeing the progress each of the fighters make. Bill says, “Everyone seems to improve… a lot!”
Bill’s Background
Bill was a custom steel metal worker, primarily stainless-steel kitchens for hotels, schools, and restaurants. His claim to fame was building the bronze columns for the Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland, Oregon. After 32 years in metal work he retired, and has now taken up woodturning as a hobby. He creates beautiful bowls, ornaments, pens, wine bottle stoppers, and plates. His work is amazing!
Bill is helping others by contributing to a cause he cares about. Bill didn’t know about Parkinson’s disease or boxing, but he put forth the effort to learn and get involved. He has developed new skills and applied his already wonderful personality and quirky sense of humor (which our fighters love!). He and his wife attend all of our social events, and he has made a huge difference in our program.
Volunteering is a symbiotic experience where both parties benefit and become better because of it.
Thank you to Bill Lind and his wife Lynn!