Summer lets most of us relax a bit to enjoy the outdoors, a barbecue, perhaps some lounging.

Lift the curtains behind Liberty Lake's events from June to September, and you'll see groups of people at work, quietly employed in unpaid shifts by choice. They're the volunteers of Friends of Pavillion Park, Kiwanis, the Fourth of July Parade and the community-funded fireworks display - some who have two decades or more of public service under their belts. 

Many will tell you they serve to ensure the community has these events, memories, chances to connect. Volunteers also describe bonds cemented over making hot dogs or setting up concerts, and fun times connecting with neighbors and watching kids relish summer days. 

"It's something we enjoy doing, giving back to the community," said Denise Coyle, 59, who for about 23 years with her family has dedicated days before, during and after the Fourth of July to fundraising, organizing, setting up and cleaning after the fireworks show over the lake. 

Born and raised in Liberty lake, Coyle is the fifth generation of her family living here. Coyle's grandfather first shot off the lake's firework shows for a few years in the 1950s. Maintaining such traditions are part of keeping community spirit alive, she said.

"It's a great way to honor our country and a great way to top off the Fourth." 

Splash file photo Volunteers for Friends of Pavillion Park unpack a trailer to help set up another summer concert. FOPP logs about 1,000 volunteer hours a summer.

Volunteers of the nonprofit Friends of Pavillion Park have handprints on another generational legacy: providing affordable recreation, education and entertainment for families since 1992. The organization, with no paid staff, organizes and sets up its events and gives annual scholarships to local seniors. FOPP members are behind the Liberty Lake Loop fun run and the annual Summer Festival with free concerts and outdoor movies.

Joe Frank, current FOPP president, said the group is always looking for new volunteers and ideas to create activities. He estimates the nonprofit's members log about 1,000 volunteer hours between June and into September.

The key is to find volunteers who are excited about what the nonprofit does and its mission, Frank added.

"Friends of Pavillion Park is dedicated to giving opportunities for people here to get together and create a sense of community for Liberty Lake," Frank said.

The group benefits from a core group of volunteers, many who are longtime board members and their families, but its activities also get fueled by some who work only limited times or offer specific skills. FOPP welcomes them as well, Frank added. For example, FOPP is seeking someone with expertise to run a skate park competition. 

Recruitment for new members has changed some in recent years, he said, including asking established volunteers to talk to friends and family on social media. FOPP also is putting more effort toward finding helpers during its summer season and reaching out to teens, Frank said. FOPP recently posted on its Facebook page a call to parents about whether their high school students might want to be Summer Festival volunteers to accrue community service hours. 

"We want them to have that civic experience, providing that sense of place and how that impacts the community," Frank said. Support from youth or others helps. "It's important we do not overtask our volunteers and board members, because it has the chance of resulting in burnout.

"Every year, we get a couple of new faces. It's helpful for the organization. Our website has a digital application to fill out. If someone is interested, we invite them to a meeting."

For 24 years, Dave Graham has helped organize the annual Fourth of July Parade in the Alpine Shores neighborhood. At 71, he has fond childhood memories of the Fourth, and he's motivated to see such kid-friendly options for future generations.

"The little ones start making memories that they have when they grow up," he said. "We want them to understand what Independence Day means."

He added that neighbors lend talents in committees to ensure the parade, games and patriotic theme go off annually without a hitch.

"We have roughly half a dozen committees to put this on now," he said. "Each one might have three people, or they might have up to nine for traffic. If you're interested in volunteering and supporting the kids - it's all for the kids - just telephone me. We still have room for volunteers."

The group doesn't make money from the festivities, he said. A few vendors are on site, but the group doesn't charge them to set up. Proceeds from selling an event T-shirt, each year designed by resident Rodney Kern, all go toward costs such as game prizes and ribbons.

"If we don't get enough money, our little group of people will toss in some money; we don't make a big deal of that," he said. 

Even from the start, parade attendance ran high, as a scrapbook kept since shows. 

"The scrapbook has gotten a lot bigger," Graham said. 

A similar neighbors-pitching-in story brought the fireworks display back to life, around 1990, then headed by Ross Schneidmiller with help from four others. Within a few years, Coyle agreed to take over the organizing and has kept at it, mostly helped by her family. 

However, she wouldn't turn down volunteers. 

"There's never time I wouldn't accept help if someone could man the labor to put plywood on docks the morning of the Fourth, or taking off the plywood," Coyle said.

Much of her annual work involves fundraising toward the $12,000 fireworks cost, but her husband, Tim Coyle, garners donations as well, as "firecracker man," marching in the parade wearing a firecracker-decor hat.

"My husband helps, my two daughters and two sons-in-law help," Coyle said. "I hire a company that sets off all the fireworks because nowadays you have to be licensed. I just do the raising of the funds, setting of the docks; they have to be covered. Someone tows the docks out. He's another Liberty Lake resident who volunteers too. That's essentially it." 

Ross Schneidmiller marvels at the 23 years of dedication by Denise Coyle and her family.

"I was burnt out after heading it up for three years," he said. "On a day when most of us at the lake host guests and enjoy family, Denise and her family have served the community for nearly a quarter century. We can show our appreciation in part by sending in our donation to the fund and asking our neighbor to do the same."

Liberty Lake Kiwanis Club members are another steady presence each summer, offering concessions for Pavillion Park's concerts and movies. They also organize the June community yard sale.

This month, the club will get to break in the city's permanent concession stand in Pavillion Park to sell hot dogs, popcorn, snow cones and cotton candy that was approved in this year's budget and started construction this spring. 

Kiwanians are looking forward to the switch from a longtime use of a concession trailer, said member Pat Lutzenberger. She and her husband, Mike Lutzenberger, estimate they have spent at least 15 years working summer concessions. 

"There's a lot of planning that goes into the summer and park schedule," Lutzenberger added. "We hand it around at the meetings because everyone gets busy. People sign up for what they can do, so that not just a few have to do this. We try to get everyone engaged to try to do at least two or three events."

The group plans still to use its trailer elsewhere for car shows and elementary school events. For summers, Kiwanians have done the behind-the-scenes work buying food, hauling and cleaning the trailer. They set up tables, utensils, awning and prep equipment and machines. 

"It's a big production to set it all up," she said, and followed in reverse to tear down. 

The Kiwanis group usually needs up to 10 volunteers for movies, while concerts often require 10 to 15 people, sometimes more. Still very active, Lutzenberger and her husband are both in their 70s. She serves on the board and her husband is treasurer. Both are past presidents of the club. 

Some members are aging and can't do as much physical work these days, she said, or people get busy and travel, so the group could always use help at events. A person doesn't have to be a member of the club. 

"They can just come up and volunteer," Lutzenberger said. "It's always nice to have backup people who can give someone a break. If you're making cotton candy constantly two hours, you get pretty tired. It's busy, nonstop, at a concert anyway; at the movies, you get kind of a break."   

Pat Dockrey, also a member of the Kiwanis board, said the group has about 45 members. They provide service for such programs and events as backpacks for kids, Key Clubs, the father-daughter dance and much more. 

A charter member since the club started in 2001, he said some challenges today do come from getting and maintaining volunteer time.

"Getting new club members is always something we're thinking about," Dockrey said. "For some people, it really clicks and for others it doesn't, and we understand that. Any volunteer club, they have the same problem. It's difficult these days getting people under age 60 interested in your club, but it's the youth that keeps things going."

New members will see and experience benefits, he said. Working together during the summer on concessions also builds cohesiveness. 

"You really get to know people," he said. "We've been doing it long enough, the community kind of expects it now. We look at it as kind of a community service as well as fundraiser." 

Lutzenberger said other rewards come from Kiwanis serving the community so many ways, especially children and schools. The group has a lengthy list of organizations it supports from its fundraisers, a few that include sponsoring school Key Club leadership, Ronald McDonald House, local food banks, Meals on Wheels, and Children's Miracle Network. More than $150,000 in scholarships has gone to graduating high school kids in Liberty Lake, East Valley and West Valley. 

The Lutzenbergers also enjoy fellow volunteers.

"I do it because I love it," Lutzenberger said. "I love helping the kids and being out there in the community. You get to know people. All my friends are Kiwanians. They're all genuine people with a heart for serving." 

Dockrey said the club uses Facebook and emails more, but he advocates another step to attract new members.

"I've always felt that being in the community is what's important to get the word out, talking about what we're doing or just being present at activities. We have a lot a projects, and there's value in community service. You can pick one. You can bring in new ideas, new projects."

Plus, Dockrey admits he enjoys a turn at making popcorn.

"I've been on the popcorn machine for four hours and you never stop, but that job is fun. A lot of the kids have gone through our program. You see people you know, and it's really fun to interact with the crowd. Many of our members are teachers or they know people. There's that sense of community."