BOUNTIFUL ó Itís not easy to get the world gathered in one place. Hundreds of international dancers, cultural officials and travelers will be gathered in Davis County this August to take part in Bountiful/Davis Summerfest International 2008 and the International Organization of Folk Artís first-ever world youth congress. And Davis County, who has to get ready for those people in just five weeks, needs all the help they can get. ìWe didnít have time to get corporate sponsorship, so we have no money,î said Larry Baird, vice-chairman of the IOV World Congress Organizing Committee. ìItís been a real challenge.î ##M:MORE##

Even simple things, like providing straw cowboy hats for the visiting dignitaries to take home as souvenirs, can prove to be an unexpected challenge.

ìThese are the things people donít think of,î said Baird, adding that the hats alone came to more than $350 total. The organizers are planning on asking the families to donate $1.79 each to help cover the hats. ìThere are all these little extras.î

Another valuable resource organizers are in desperate need of is volunteers. On its own, Summerfest requires the help of more than 300 volunteers and 100 host families to keep everything running smoothly, and Baird describes the congress as being about twice the size of Summerfest. These volunteers do everything from set-up and tear-down to helping festival attendees, manning booths, and offering hospitality to the visiting performers and guests.

Anyone interested in donating time or money to helping out the IOV congress or Summerfest should contact the Bountiful/Davis Art Center at 292-0367.

ìA lot of these people might not get to the U.S. again,î said Baird. ìThis may be their only chance, and we want to make it special for them.î