GULF SHORES, Ala. — It’s only two months until the 41st Annual National Shrimp Festival Presented by Zatarain’s takes place in Gulf Shores, and organizers are on the lookout for people that would like to volunteer during the Festival.

Sponsored by the Alabama Gulf Coast Area Chamber of Commerce, the Festival will take place Oct. 11-14 where Alabama 59 meets the beach.

Ron Kutter is in his sixth and final year as chairman of the Festival. He said the primary reason for the success of the Festival is the volunteers.

“We have 100 or so volunteer staff members who spend four days at the Festival from before it opens to after closing,” he said. “These staff volunteers along with 600 to 700 more volunteers — who work in every area from the Children’s Activity Village to our retail and concessions booths — are the real reason the Festival is always as successful as it is.”

According to Kutter, most volunteers spend just a few hours of their weekend working in the Chamber’s booths.

“The rest of the weekend they’re like everyone else enjoying the food, music and art of the Festival,” he said.

Volunteers staff information booths, sell official festival souvenirs in the Chamber’s retail booths and everything in-between. These volunteers can be spotted by the Committee T-shirts they receive for volunteering at the Festival.

“These are special T-shirts,” Kutter said. “Anyone can buy an official Shrimp Festival t-shirt, but these shirts are only given to volunteers.”

“The volunteers are the engine that makes this a true community event,” Chamber Special Events Director Ann Motes said. “They take pride and ownership of the Festival. For most of them, this is their home, and they take great pride in showing our coastal hospitality to visitors.”

The Festival is the only fundraiser of the year for the Chamber. “Our Chamber’s success is directly tied to the success of the Festival and the revenue it brings to the Chamber,” Festival Concessions Co-Chairman Steve Jones said. The Chamber makes money through the sale of Festival booths, sponsor fees, Festival souvenir retail booths and concessions.

Kutter said while a great number of Festival volunteers come from member businesses, volunteers from outside the Chamber are welcome as well. Motes said there is no typical Festival volunteer.

“Some are area residents. Some are condo owners that come down for the weekend and volunteer. Some are retired,” she said. “Still others are from out of town, and stay in a condo or motel for the weekend.”