After years of teaching her students to appreciate history, retired social studies teacher Cindy Vogt will witness it firsthand during the Democratic National Convention.
The Arlington Heights resident is one of thousands of volunteers who will keep the DNC ticking next week. She also recruited dozens of helpers in her role as a neighborhood ambassador for the Chicago 2024 Host Committee.
“I really always, always wanted to attend a convention. To me that is a big part of our democracy, these conventions. Just to experience the excitement live is thrilling,” Vogt said.
Originally, DNC planners hoped to secure 12,000 volunteers. By mid-July, that goal was surpassed, they announced.
“Chicago, Illinois, and the Midwest are beyond excited to host this summer’s convention and there is no clearer proof than today’s massive planning milestone,” Chicago 2024 Executive Director Christy George said in a statement July 10.
Organizers of the Democratic National Convention hosted as volunteer application launch party May 30 in Chicago. As of last month, organizers say they’ve surpassed their goal of recruiting 12,000 volunteers for the convention.
Courtesy of DNC
About 30,000 people showed interest in helping out. Of those selected, 77% are from Illinois, 39% are Chicagoans and many come from the suburbs.
Vogt and neighborhood ambassador organizer Daniel Schack of Northbrook said offers of help poured in from towns like Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Glenview, Northbrook, Palatine and Wheeling.
And that was before the convention pivoted from the problematic renomination of incumbent President Joe Biden to Vice President and nominee Kamala Harris.
Daniel Schack of Northbrook is among the numerous DNC volunteers who’ve been busy recruiting others to make the convention a success.
Courtesy of Daniel Schack
“I believe in experiencing as much history as I can,” Vogt said. “It would have been historic anyway just to attend but now … oh my goodness, it is so exciting.”
What exactly will volunteers do?
Jobs could include greeting guests at O’Hare International Airport, giving directions at venues, checking credentials, driving visitors and helping with food.
“It’s really being the face of the convention to a lot of people,” Schack said. “Volunteers are the lifeblood of the convention.”
And although there will be glimpses of VIPs, it’s not glamorous work.
At the Republican National Convention this July in Milwaukee, a small army of volunteers took shifts standing in the blazing sun outside Fiserv Forum guiding journalists and delegates to the correct entrances.
But for DNC volunteers counting down the days to kickoff Monday, it’s a labor of love that’s not about being Democrat or Republican.
“People are excited to be part of it,” Schack said. “They recognize the historic nature of showcasing Chicago to the world.”
The Neighborhood Ambassador program launched in January and features people deeply involved in their communities. Ambassadors recruited more than 1,400 volunteers from the Chicago region for the DNC.
Vogt, who spent 40 years teaching at Thomas Middle School in Arlington Heights and other schools, reached out to friends, community organizations and former students about volunteer openings. She ended up with about 200 signups and won recognition from the host committee for her efforts.
“It’s just been a whole community effort to make people aware of the opportunity we all have to get involved,” Vogt said.
“I’m just trying to get as many people as excited as I am about wanting to experience this part of our democracy.”