Glorianne Leck wins 2013 volunteer award

Glorianne Leck was awarded the 2013 Jim Mahan Buskirk-Chumley Theater Volunteer of the Year award for being an outstanding usher during the past 12 months.

As an usher, Leck has assisted hundreds of patrons during 26 events in the last year.

She said she believes the job is a good fit for her “extroverted” personality.

“I love to stand in front of the theater and get people psyched for the show,” she said.

Leck retired seven years ago from a career as a university professor and two years later moved to Bloomington.

One thing Leck said drew her to Bloomington was the performing arts scene.

When she moved to Bloomington, Leck began to volunteer with several organizations.

“The first place I started volunteering was Boxcar Books because I wanted to stay connected to the radical student community,” Leck said. “Besides volunteering with Buskirk-Chumley, I’ve also volunteered at Volunteers in Medicine, the food bank, the community kitchen and with Caring Companions through Area 10 on Aging.”

But now she devotes most of her time to the Buskirk-Chumley. 

“I can volunteer whenever I want,” Leck said. “I volunteer for things I’m marginally curious about or for things I don’t think they’ll get many ushers for.”

Volunteer Coordinator Regine Richter McClain described Leck  as a “pro” at her job. McClain has only been working at the theater for a few months, so her predecessor, Caitlyn Kuhs, recommended Leck for the award. 

“With volunteers the key is reliability,” McClain said. “They say they’ll do something, and they execute, and Glorianne exemplifies that.”

Ushers have to be able to help anyone, from young children to the elderly.

Part of the job is making the patrons feel comfortable at the theater, McClain said. 

Leck’s favorite events she has ushered include the Martin Luther King Day Celebration, the Lotus Festival and the Black Violin. She also loves ushering at the local shows the Buskirk-Chumley sponsors.

“Each show I’ve ushered has its own worth, and I’ve gotten something out of all of them,” Leck said.

One thing Leck said she has noticed is many students don’t know about the volunteering program at the Buskirk-Chumley.

“It’s a pretty easy volunteer job if you don’t mind standing for a long time,” Leck said.

“And I just met so many people. Unfortunately, I don’t see students learning about this opportunity until their junior or senior year, if at all. When you come into a community, it’s important to build a network.

“Volunteering makes connections.”