Setting up for Fire & Ice: It is all about Somerset countians volunteers, community

SOMERSET -— It was cold Friday morning. Even colder when handling the ice sculptures, some heavy enough to take two or more people to move.

So why are people laughing and smiling? The Somerset Inc. volunteers are helping their community, setting up the heart of the Fire & Ice Festival, the ice sculptures.

What: The ocean in ice is coming to Somerset for Fire & Ice

"We wouldn't have a Fire & Ice Festival without our volunteers," said Somerset Inc. Executive Director Regina Coughenour.

The festival is in its 29th year and the volunteers keep coming to help make it a success.

Somerset Inc. Community Engagement Director Kelley Duppstadt, said at least 100 volunteers were helping with the festivals and some of them will assist for all three days of the event.

"The whole festival is run by volunteers," Duppstadt said. "We are a strong community and we all stand together for the betterment of the community. We strengthen our core."

"It is fun. It is a lot of work," said Luke Boland, who has been helping at Fire & Ice for five years. "It has become a tradition." His friend who has joined him in this endeavor, Mike Fetterolf, said, "It is something people enjoy coming to and I just wanted to be a part of setting it up."

As for looking at the sculptures, there isn't much of an opportunity to look at them while moving them, Fetterolf said. So, he and Boland plan to walk around Friday evening and look at them along with the throng of visitors.

Somerset Inc. can always use more volunteers to help with its many projects, the Fire & Ice Festival just being one of them. For anyone interested in volunteering just contact Somerset Inc. and "we will try to find a good fit," Duppstadt said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Setting up for Fire & Ice: It is all about volunteers, community