volunteerThe Northfield Historical Society will celebrate the spirit of volunteerism and single out two volunteers for special recognition during Volunteer Night on Thursday, April 17, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the society’s downtown location (408 Division Street). The event is free and open to the public.

The two Volunteers of the Year who will be recognized are former board member Judy Sosted and Erin Hahn, a junior at Northfield High School.

“Volunteering for the Northfield Historical Society has been a good fit because there are such a variety of opportunities to meet a variety of interests,” Sosted says. Since settling in Northfield in 1982 her work for the organization has included becoming a docent on the Posse, an organization that gives tours of the society’s museum, and working in the store. She enjoys telling the many visitors “not only the story of the raid, but also about the charms of Northfield.”

In addition, Sosted has volunteered for a variety of alumni-related tasks at Carleton College, her alma mater, and at the Norwegian-American Historical Society at St. Olaf College.

Hahn became involved with the Historical Society in eighth grade, when she participated in the SCOPE program and helped write the textbook, Our Story, that has since become part of the Northfield school district’s third-grade curriculum. In doing so, she not only gained a wealth of information about Northfield’s past, but also fell in love with the society.

“I love sharing Northfield’s story with tourists and residents,” she says. “But the history of Northfield — and of the James-Younger gang — is so complex that every year I learn something new and intriguing.”

This will be Hahn’s fourth year on the Posse, and she also enjoys working in the store. She plans to continue volunteering at the society for as long as she lives in Northfield.