Every now and then a word pops up that fits what happens when everyone is on the same page to help a community grow and thrive. Crowd sourcing began to be used on the internet mostly, as well as in print advertisements. Typically the “crowd” in crowd sourcing references, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary definition, “the act of collecting services, ideas, or context through the contributions of a large group,” as it perfectly describes the efforts to finding a way to get more people involved in helping fund local events. The official description does add “typically crowdsourcing is a third party unrelated to the business seeking results. In the past decades technological changes have been a boon for getting the word out. Its use is being taken for granted now, in both rural and urban areas.
All hands on deck is the call being heard throughout our community these next few weeks. It’s not an emergency signal, it’s an expected invitation to the entire community to step up and volunteer to help try and put on the best Range Call ever. While big crowds can usually be seen on the 4th of July, the growth matching the beefed-up efforts of all those responsible for getting the word out on a big scale has escalated. Relying on the internet to gather a crowd has become a given and can be seen in the increase in visitors to our area each summer and fall.
While locals make up the majority of the days-long Range Call extravaganza. Volunteer crews can be spotted throughout the community and include a few summertime visitors as well. With anticipation for the July 4 holiday, people give in to the increasingly heightened levels of “all for one and one for all” to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Another part of one of the dictionary definitions of “crowd sourced” includes the word wisdom. I am not sure how wise it is to use a successful business tool that increases a crowd in a small community, unless the reason benefits everyone in that community and the plan to welcome those crowds is in place. Pitching in, even at the last minute, is always appreciated. So far, so good…
By DOLLY VISCARDI | Special to the Herald Times