Bill Teeter, of Niles, is a retiree who has served as a volunteer with the Four Flags Apple Festival for the past several years. He recently helped out during the 2017 festival, which took place this past weekend.

How did you get involved with the Apple Festival?

My wife [Pat] is on the board.

How many years have you been helping out?

About eight.

What were some of the things you helped with during this year’s festival?

Everything. It’s a team effort. You set tables up, you get benches out, you clean up, you set up tents — everything you can imagine. We’re a jack of all trades up here.

How many hours did you put in?

I would say at least 11 hour days, for at least [the past] week and half.

How many people help out with the festival?

I would say 100, if I had to guess. We have volunteers behind the scenes [who] I don’t even see. We also have a lot sponsors throughout the city who also help.

What do you like about volunteering with the festival?

I like seeing the smiles on the kids’ face. I like the opportunity to see everyone happy in the community.

What do you think the festival means to the community?

We are bringing joy and happiness to everybody, and we give everyone a chance to see a good carnival. It helps bring the community together.

Is there anything else you volunteer with around the community?

This is pretty much it. This is an all-year thing. We have meetings usually twice a month throughout the whole year. It’s not just a one-week deal. We are having meetings all throughout the year. It never ends. But it’s a wonderful thing.

We could use more volunteers. Anyone who wants to come are welcome to come up here the first and third Thursday of every month. We would be happy to have them.

Is there anything you want to say to encourage people to volunteer for next year’s festival?

If they want to give anything to the community, and see some smiles on people’s faces, this is the place to do it.

Is there anything else you want to mention?

Everyone who helped with the festival should be recognized as volunteer of the week. Everyone gave 100 percent to get the festival up and running this year.