The Golden Bear Scare, the Fourth of July fireworks and parade, the Golden Apple Awards, Christmas in the Park, the Big Easter Egg Hunt, the Memorial Day Run, UA Stage, Labor Neighbor Day, movies in the park – all these events are part of what define the Upper Arlington community. But what do these events have in common? They are all powered by the force of volunteers that make up the Upper Arlington Civic Association (UACA)
Between planning events a year in advance and being a dedicated setup and cleanup crew, the UACA is a relatively quiet contributor to the elements that bring Upper Arlington together. Each member of the association works tirelessly to ensure the events go off without a hitch.
Getting involved
Courtesy of UACA Director
UACA Easter Egg Hunt
Matthew Whisler moved to Upper Arlington with his wife and kids in 2020. After living in Atlanta, Georgia for 20 years, he was surprised at the level of community engagement in his new home, he shares.
“I remember when we moved here, my wife and I were in shock. I think we had desserts and stuff dropped off (at our house) for a week,” Whisler says. “There’s just such a different sense of community and family and I never experienced anything quite like it. Once that happened, I was like, ‘I want to make sure that other people have a similar experience.’”
Whisler heard about the work the UACA does to create a connected community and decided to join the association in January 2021. He volunteered to lead the Golden Apple Awards because of his family’s history as teachers.
“The goal is to recognize amazing teachers that have had a greater impact on the children and the community,” Whisler says. “We get somewhere in the 500-plus range of nominations.”
After sifting through the nominations with the Golden Apple Award committee, Whisler takes a couple days off work to get all the awards out to the teachers. During his time on the project, he has surprised educators in hallways, classrooms and gymnasiums. For one award, Whisler worked with the school principal to gather the entire student body in the gymnasium to recognize a nurse who was retiring after a lifelong career.
“I think (there is) no better way to leave a career than to be recognized by your students, peers and community for the amazing impact you had,” Whisler says.
But the Golden Apple Awards don’t just begin when the nomination window opens in January. Whisler begins planning in September by connecting with principals and building an awareness of the program and the nomination window. Even after the awards are distributed in April, the event isn’t finished. In July, teachers join in the Fourth of July parade. UACA wraps up each award cycle by perfecting even the smaller details like organizing the float for the teachers and getting the educators coffee and doughnuts in the morning. Then, merely a couple months later in September, the cycle begins again.
Courtesy of UACA Director
UACA Directors
But even as Whisler’s focus is organizing nominations and arranging meetings with the principals, he is also contributing to the UACA in other areas.
“The way it works is, while you’re responsible for one event, you go and help out all the other events. Every event I’m out there helping and contributing,” Whisler says.
One of Whisler’s first experiences working on the setup and cleanup crew for an event was for the Big Easter Egg Hunt. The UACA arrives at the event two hours before it begins to set up, hide the eggs and prep the space for the families.
“After the whole thing was over, all the kids leave, all the families leave, and it’s you and the other directors and everybody is cleaning, picking up, putting stuff away until the last minute. Nobody is leaving early,” Whisler says. “We’re all similar in attitude and commitment.”
The UACA brings this same level of commitment to the other events they organize. For the Fourth of July fireworks, the UACA sets up the area for the fireworks show then meets at 6:30 a.m. the following day to pick up the aftermath.
“I don’t think it works if half the people care and half the people don’t. So everybody cares,” Whisler says.
Whisler spends anywhere from five to 10 hours a month volunteering with UACA throughout the year. During Golden Apple season, however, Whisler could be spending up to 20 hours a week on projects.
“It’s so much easier to go and do all these things when you know that you’re right next to somebody else with a similar passion. I think that’s what makes it work,” Whisler says.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
