Basia Lieske is tired. For the past two and a half months she hasn’t had a single day off work. And while she hasn’t had time to read a book or clean her house, it also means she hasn’t been able to pour her prodigious energies into her many volunteer jobs.
As a result, there was no Dog Days of Summer this year. Unless she gets help soon, there will also be no Light Up the Cove in December.
“I’m not saying people don’t pull their weight,” she said as she grabbed a late lunch at the USSC Marina gift shop, where she works when she’s not attending to her own business, Bowen Event Rentals. “I’m so grateful for the people who do help.”
However, most of the help comes close to the night of the event when merchants and community groups involved in the magical evening step up. Jewal Maxwell is also indispensable as Lieske’s right-hand woman as the event approaches.
The bulk of the organizational work beforehand, however, falls primarily on Lieske’s shoulders alone.
“I’m fried,” she says.
As the chief organizer of Dog Days, it wasn’t only that she didn’t have time to gather sponsorships and do the posters, among the myriad of other duties.
Lieske was booked for four weddings that weekend so she knew she wouldn’t have a minute to breath, let alone help with the set-up as the person-who-knows-where-everything-is.
She’s said on Facebook that if people want Dog Days to return, they’ll need to step up to the plate this September.
The irony is, of course, that Lieske hasn’t had time to organize the search for an organizing committee for either group.
However, those who want both events to continue are invited to reach out to her by emailing [email protected]. Santa says thank you, too.
