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Volunteer Spotlight: Randall Kellogg
Volunteer Randall Kellogg left the plains of Montana to make his way into the New York City theatre scene. As he continues to forge a path on the financial side of the entertainment field, Randall applies his considerable talents to mass mailings and appeals here at BC/EFA. Learning to Fly By all accounts, Randall endured a “very quiet” childhood in Montana. The son of a farmer and a receptionist, his entry into theatre came when he was cast as John in a 3rd grade production of Peter Pan. “That was my one little glimmer in Montana,” he adds. “I got to fly.” After high school, Randall came to New York, mostly by chance. He’d applied to several schools, but NYU just happened to work out. “People from Montana go to Denver or Seattle, not the East Coast,” he says. “Going from a town of 40,000 to the biggest city in the country with a (big) reputation … it was a little scary.” Randall’s one requirement was that he live within a 30-minute walk of the theatres, and succeeded when he found a roommate and apartment just north of Times Square. He completed a course at NYU in business finance and marketing and is presently doing small business consulting on a freelance basis. Through Wind and Sleet and Hale In 2002, Randall learned of Broadway Cares through a friend and former BC/EFA volunteer, Jenny Buccos. He had never been directly affected by AIDS before coming to New York, but was certainly aware of how the AIDS crisis had affected the community. His first stint was an all-day mailing in the old conference room on the 13th floor. He found it a bit daunting. “Everyone was older than me to varying degrees and knew each other and had histories.” But, it didn’t take long before Randall found his stride, and now he is one of the most frequently sought after volunteers, particularly from the staff of Dancers Responding to AIDS where a typical mailing can run up to 6,000 pieces. “Randall is amazing. We love having him here at DRA – he always has a smile on his face,” says DRA producer Jamie Bishton. A Prince at Lion King During both our spring and fall appeals seasons, Randall regularly collects at his favorite stop on the tour, The Lion King. “They go above and beyond most shows, since they do have a connection to South Africa,” he says. “We sell beaded giraffes, elephants, zebras, lizards, fish, and we’re getting monkeys in – they’re coming soon. They do the giraffes and elephants according to traditional African patterns, so they’re very unique and exciting to see.” As for BC’s exhaustive event calendar, Randall is most pleased by the turn-out at Flea Market, held each September in Shubert Alley. “I think it exemplifies BC/EFA because you get a lot of organizations putting out tables that aren’t usually associated with us.” Ultimately, the most wonderful gifts bestowed upon a non-profit come from the diligence, dedication – and words – of volunteers such as Randall Kellogg. “If any organization can help so many different people, if someone can drop a dollar in a bucket, and that dollar can go all around the world – that’s what a charity should do. It goes to real people, not wasted away on some administrative bureaucracy.”
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By Jody O’Neil