Gene Millin, of Niles is the executive board VP of operations for the Four Flags Area Apple Festival. He has also been head chair of the Apple Festival float for six years.
In his dual volunteer roles, Millin helps to make sure the tents are set up and he helps the events run smoothly. As float chair, he teaches and assists the Apple Festival court in building and designing the float for the parades.
This year, he came up with the idea for a Christmas float that had a dragon with a 15-foot wingspan. Millin is also the owner of Millin Automotive at 705, N. Second St.

What do you do?
Basically when we get done with the Apple Festival we tear the float apart and get it all built back with the new theme, so it gives us a little over a month to get it all put together. We come up with the concept for design and then we round up the pieces and put it together and activate our plan.
The girls run saws and hammers. It is more than just building a float, it is also trying to teach these young ladies an additional thing that might be good in the future for them. There are probably next to none of them that have ever run a jigsaw or something like that. They are the ones who ride on it and it is their float. They help build it and they should be proud of it. There are a few others that help with it too, but the idea is that the girls come in and they can learn something, plus be proud that they built it instead of us building it all for them.

How did you come up with the idea for this year’s parade?
There were three or four of us pretty much that built that dragon. It has about a 15 foot wingspan and it opens up kind of slow and easy and then it turns around and comes right back down slow and easy. It is kind of that mystical thing that we were shooting for. We are the number one four-day festival in the Ohio Valley. We should have a float that shows that off a little bit.

How did you get involved?
The gentleman that had been building floats for a while…kind of stepped back and we did not have anybody doing it, so I stepped into it and I just kind of took it over.

What do you enjoy about it?
Helping the girls learn something and coming up with and starting from nothing and then building it up to something that they are proud of and the Apple Festival is proud of.

What was one your favorite projects?
The float that we did here about two years ago with the Apple Festival Salutes, we had people standing up and saluting and thanking us as we went down the parade route. Some of these veterans were standing there crying because nobody gives them their dues. After the parade they said that it was beautiful and they appreciated it. That was pretty cool. I think that was one of the best movements. I just like to make things move and make people happy.

Why would you encourage other people to volunteer?
It can make your heart feel good. Especially at this time of year. I mean everybody needs a little bit of that.

Do you know a volunteer worthy of recognition? Nominate him or her as the Volunteer of the Week by calling the newsroom at (269) 687-7713, or emailing news@leaderpub.com