The Strawberry Festival starts next week, and volunteers are still needed to make the event run smoothly.

The Vashon-Maury Island Chamber of Commerce organizes the event each year and relies heavily on volunteers to do so. In fact, Chamber Executive Director Jim Marsh said that the weekend long celebration is one of the largest in the region that is run almost exclusively by volunteers.

“That is a tribute to how Vashon comes to gether to do this event,” he said.

People can sign up to volunteer on the chamber’s website, where they will find several different areas in need of islanders to lend a hand: marshaling the parade crowds, assisting with general operations, working at the Beer Garden, staffing the kids’ Free Range Fun Zone, helping with the Sunday’s car parade and serving as part of the clean-up crew.

“We really strive to make volunteering fun,” Marsh said. “We know people are giving up time during festival, and we want to them to enjoy their time while helping out.”

Sign up is available at vashonchamber.com by clicking on the “Be a volunteer for Strawberry Festival banner.” Or call the chamber at 206-463-6217.

Additional volunteers are also needed to help with Zero Waste Vashon, which is working to decrease the 140,000 pounds of post-festival waste that typically leaves the island for a landfill. Zero Waste Vashon needs volunteers to help monitor recycle stations, bring recyclables and food waste to the central collection point, measure progress, and help festival-goers get everything in the right place. Volunteer shifts are in 2- to 3-hour blocks. To sign up for one or more shifts, see signup.com/go/uoHtsfR. Or call Marian Whited, volunteer coordinator at 206-909-3534.