Volunteers are a key part of the Annual National Shrimp Festival, helping the four-day event welcome more than 300,000 attendees while also raising money for local nonprofit organizations.

According to a news release, nearly 1,000 volunteers help power the festival each year, from senior staff members who begin working on the following year's event just days after the current festival ends to volunteers who give four hours of their time in the retail and concessions tents.

For about 20 years, volunteers working in the concessions tents have collected tips that are donated to area nonprofits.

“For about 20 years the volunteers in our concessions tents have collected money for area non-profits,” Concessions Co-Chair Renee Jones said in the release. “It surprises many people that the tips we collect at our tents are not split by the volunteers. They are strictly volunteers and donate their time and tip money to help out our area.”

Concessions Co-Chair Sam Washington said the program initially benefited organizations such as the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, Share the Beach and Relay For Life. The list of beneficiaries eventually expanded as volunteers and groups sought to support additional organizations.

“We used to give the volunteers a list of non-profits and they were able to choose one. But then around 2010 or 2011 we began to get groups that wanted to have some of their favorite ones included, so we now let the volunteers each shift pick a non-profit.”

Festival records show 25 different nonprofits split more than $28,000 in tip money in 2025. Jones and Washington said those donations can make a significant difference in the assistance organizations are able to provide in the community.

Share the Beach was among the beneficiaries last year, receiving almost $4,000 from festival volunteers.

“The Alabama Coastal Foundation truly appreciates all of the support raised at Shrimp Fest. Those donations go towards our Share the Beach sea turtle conservation program to help cover the supplies and equipment needed to successfully operate that amazing effort that has over 550 volunteers,” Share the Beach Director Rachael Holdsworth said. “We’re looking forward to volunteering with concessions again this year.”

Individuals are welcome to volunteer, but Washington said groups can increase the amount of money raised for their preferred organization by filling shifts together.

There are still concessions shifts available among the 664 volunteer slots needed for the four days of the festival. Groups supporting a verified nonprofit organization can designate that organization to receive the tips collected during their shifts. Organizations seeking verification can email Shrimpfestconcessions@gmail.com with the pertinent information.

“We count the tips at the end of each four-hour shift and set that money aside for the non-profits,” Jones said. “In some instances, we will split tips if more than one group is represented, but the more people you get to volunteer together, it improves the amount of money your preferred organization gets. To borrow a phrase, ‘The more the merrier.’”

Volunteers can sign up individually or as a group through the Shrimp Festival website at www.myshrimpfest.com. After selecting the Volunteer tab, applicants should scroll down to the Concessions tab and complete the form with their personal information and the information for anyone else they are registering.

“Where else can you have fun interacting with customers sporting a new Shrimp Fest Volunteer t-shirt, enjoy a couple of the beers you just sold for four hours and help out your favorite charity,” Jones said.

The Annual National Shrimp Festival is scheduled for Oct. 8-11. More information about this year's festival, including activities, vendors and the music lineup, is available at www.myshrimpfest.com.