By Pat Jenkins The Dispatch One day a week, Mike Becker drives from his home near Clear Lake to LeMay-America's Car Museum for a piece of heaven - heaven on wheels, that is. As one of the volunteers there, Becker complements his own avocation as a car collector while also helping satisfy the curiosity of visitors at the automotive mecca in Tacoma. "I'm retired. I was looking for something to do," Becker, 75, said of his involvement with the museum. And there are opportunities for more people to join the museum's volunteer ranks. Museum officials are recruiting for any of the nine volunteer roles, ranging from tour guides to members of the "pit crewGÇ¥ who help visitors take turns in race-car simulators. Becker, who helps supervise the pinewood derby - one of the museum's hands-on activities - on Mondays, is among a handful of volunteers from southeastern Pierce County communities, including the Eatonville and South Hill areas. The volunteers are unpaid, but they're considered every bit as important to the museum's overall operation as the staff members who draw paychecks. "We're so grateful for the work they do in support of the experience that visitors have,GÇ¥ said Jana Wenstrom, the coordinator of the volunteers. Most of the volunteers are asked to make a one-year commitment. Docents (tour guides) are asked for a two-year commitment that includes ongoing training and independent study. The work is in shifts of about three hours Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or 1:30 to 5 p.m. On any given day, the 165,000 square-feet museum next to the Tacoma Dome displays as many as 350 cars, trucks and motorcycles from private owners, corporations and LeMay. That's a fraction of the total LeMay collection, which reached a Guinness Book world record of more than 3,000 vehicles in the mid-1990s. It's much smaller, but Becker has his own collection of 10 classic cars. He bought the first one, a 1964 Austin Healey, in 1994. "I've restored a couple of them, but mostly I buys cars that are in good shape and done," Becker said. One of them is a 1955 Desoto, close to the same model of the Desoto he borrowed from his mother as a 16-year-old for his driver license test. He remembers "dynamiting" the brakes accidentally, causing the police officer who was his tester to flop against the dashboard. "He was a nice guy and passed me, though. I did everything else right," Becker said. . Car-related trips down memory lane are what Bill Simon, a substitute teacher at high schools in Tacoma, enjoys most about volunteering as a tour guide. Visitors often tell Simon their personal car stories. He recalls, for instance, a woman who reminisced after seeing a 1965 Ford Mustang like the one she was in when her future husband proposed marriage. "I like hearing people talk about cars that made an impact in their lives, whether it was learning to drive while sitting on their grandfather's lap or the first car they owned,GÇ¥ Simon said. His own story is about a 1964 Chevrolet Super Sport convertible. "That was my favorite of the cars I've owned,GÇ¥ he said. "It was a hot little car. I'd love to have another one.GÇ¥ Joining the ranks of museum volunteers can take a person in several directions, depending on the job they're interested in: " Tour guide. Docents conduct guided tours for school-age children, educators, seniors, visitors with special needs, and those for whom English is not a first language. Docents will provide a brief history of the museum and an overview of its programs in addition to answering questions about cars. " Educator. Museum educators lead schoolchildren in the discovery of automobile-themed topics in the subjects of American history, math, science, literacy and the arts. " Collection monitor. Keeps an eye on vehicles that are on display to make sure visitors aren't making unwanted contact with them. Monitors also provide information about the museum, its history, and the collection. " Pit crew. Assists visitors with "The Speed Zone,GÇ¥ helping them in and out of race-car simulators and explaining how the attraction works. The pit crew also helps out with the slot car race track. " Greeter. Welcome museum guests, distribute maps and information, and answer general questions. " Photo booth attendant. In this role, volunteers help with taking souvenir pictures of visitors in a 1923 Buick. The work includes starting and shutting down a camera-computer and changing photo paper and ink. " Events specialist. These volunteers are assigned to special events, greeting visitors in the lobby and helping direct them where to go, serving as a collection monitor in the galleries, or even dressing up in costumes to fit the theme of a party. They're needed the most for weekend and evening events. " Museum ambassador. Representing the museum at the museum and off-site events can include setting up booths, positioning vehicles, and arranging signs, tables and displays for off-site events. " Collection management. This crew is in charge of seeing that vehicles and artifacts are displayed properly and also well-maintained. Team members help with preservation, conservation and historical background. There may be call for detailing, washing and polishing vehicles while they're on display, maintaining computer records of the cars, and moving vehicles to events and between displays. " Administrative assistance. These volunteers may help keep records and files, operate office equipment, answer telephone calls, type documents, and do other office-related tasks assigned by a supervisor.
How to get involved
Interested in volunteering at LeMay-America's Car Museum? Contact Jana Wennstrom, the museum's volunteer coordinator, at jana.wennstrom@lemaymuseum.org an 253-779-8490, extension 1022. GÇ¿GÇ¿
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