Garry Hoffart says he prefers to be behind the camera instead of in front of it.
He must love being behind a camera. He’ll spend 15 hours operating a camera at the United Way Estevan’s Telethon this year, continuing a tradition that has been happening for decades.
It all started when a friend of his, Brenda Morton, was on the United Way board, and asked him if he would take a two-hour camera shift during the broadcast. He had nothing to do that day, since it was a day off.
“Then I started increasing the hours after that. As long as it hits on my days off. Now I’m retired.”
He’ll be there for almost half of this year’s telethon, a 33-hour fundraiser that takes place Oct. 18 and 19 at the Royal Canadian Legion. Hoffort will work the first shift for two hours, and then work every other shift until the 8-10 p.m. slot on the 18th.
After a good night’s sleep, Hoffart will start camera work at 6 a.m. Oct. 19 and work every other shift, ending with the 2-5 p.m. shift on Saturday.
“It’s for a worthy cause. I think the board of directors people are very good to work with. I get along with them. We talk and stuff like that, and we smile at each other, maybe joke around a little bit, which is good. It makes your two-hour shift go quick.”
He decided to up his commitment over the years because he has fun. His focus has always been on the cameras.
Some of the people who are current or former board members have become friends – people who have been hosts, fellow camera operators, floor directors or switchers.
As stated previously, he doesn’t want to be in front of the camera. But there will be times during the telethon in which Hoffart will find his way on the screen, standing in his familiar spot, aiming the camera at the entertainment.
“I don’t intentionally do it, but I know Roberta’s (former board member Roberta DeRosier) has called me the dancing cameraman, because when the music gets a little loud, I like to dance and shake and things like that. And that’s usually when I get on camera and things like that. It’s not my intention to get on camera.”
He has also become acquainted with some of the other camera operators who help out each year.
For example, on the Saturday morning shift from 6-8 a.m., he has worked with Garth and Wendy Davidson for years.
“I used to work with Wendy many moons ago. It’s a good time. We sit around, we have breakfast after, and shoot … the old times.”
In between his shifts, he’ll go home and watch television and wait for his next shift. He admits that he won’t always watch the telethon, but he’ll check in to see how the fundraiser is progressing.
“I check my watch on a regular basis, and make sure I have the time. I’m always 15-20 minutes early, so I don’t get much time off.”
One of the most incredible parts about his service with the United Way is he didn’t have experience working with cameras before he volunteered. The first year he helped out, he attended a crash course on how to operate a camera.
After his second year, he said he didn’t need any more lessons.
“Cameras are easy,” he said. “Listen to the floor director and the switcher.”
The cameras have come a long ways, too. They’re modern, easier to operate and more user-friendly. It’s something he believes anyone can do.
Hoffart said he’ll continue to be part of the telethon each year for as long as he can stand for a two-hour shift. A few years ago, when his back was acting up, the United Way provided him with a stool so he could sit down if he needed a break. And he encourages people to involved with the event, whether it be as a volunteer or another role.
“The board of directors are good. You get to see a lot of people sitting in the legion hall. They’re there watching the entertainment. You turn around and you wave at them and you know who they are.”
And perhaps one of the camera operators will even join him in breaking out a dance move during the shift.
