RPKC members who volunteered to help the delegates, speakers, elected representatives, media, & attendees had a blast at the 2024 Republican Nation Convention, & here’s some of their stories:
For the 35,000 delegates and 15,000 media who attended last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, a common sight were the hundreds of red and blue-shirted volunteers, who were working to make the convention a pleasant and rewarding experience.
For many of the volunteers, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a national convention up close. And for those who were Republicans, it was a way to be a part of an event of national importance.
Most volunteers were recruited from Milwaukee itself, as well as the counties of southern Wisconsin, where delegates were housed. Some delegations, such as the one from Texas, were housed as far away as Madison; others were in Racine and here in Kenosha.
Recently, I had an opportunity to speak with some of the volunteers from Kenosha about their experiences at the convention, and to reflect on my own experience as a volunteer.
FIRST STEPS
For most of us, the first step was an email last spring from the Republican National Committee, asking us to volunteer for the convention. I thought about it, decided “What the heck!” and volunteered. A couple of months later came an email point to an application, a form for selecting when and where we wanted to work (either at a local hotel, or in Milwaukee convention center itself), and a form for selecting the mandatory training session. Also, there was a pointer to a form for the US Secret Service: every volunteer had to pass a background check.
At the training session, it was explained that our job was to be helpful to the attendees, to help keep matters running smoothly, and to be a good representative of the local city, the state of Wisconsin, and the Republican Party. The Do’s and Don’ts were also explained; for example, we were not to bother celebrities for photos, talk politics, or—and this was emphasized—talk to the media! but we were to show up on time, phone in if we couldn’t make a session, wear our volunteer’s T-shirt while on duty (volunteers in the hotels wore blue shirts, volunteers in the Milwaukee convention area wore red shirts), and in general be cheerful and helpful.
EXPERIENCES
What follows are the experience of some Kenosha Republicans who served as volunteers at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Joanne Koenecke
I worked first worked at the gate where most of the media came in. Then I was put in front of Fiserv Forum. People got wind that I was a photographer, so a line started to form with people’s cell phones and they started to give me their cell phones to take their pictures in front of the “Trump 2025” sign.
I did see Marjorie Taylor Greene come in. Tina from Moms for Liberty was doing an interview in my vicinity. Then I ran into Gerald from Louder with Crowder—and I did go get a picture with him!
Eric Trump was going by and he was swarmed by media. But then I observed the media trample on one of their own and keep walking. That was profound to me. They knocked her down. She fell. Then they literally trampled her. After it cleared I went over and made sure she was OK.
Inside the Forum: that was fantastic. It was electric. Everybody was just on fire. I heard that other conventions were not as unified, but this was 100% unified. Everybody was excited, whether you were Republican or not.
It was a long day. It was exhausting. Everybody was really friendly. It was bustling and busy.
Kat Woods
I worked at the Stella Hotel in Kenosha. The delegates there were from Alaska.
It was wonderful. The delegates were also very, very nice, very friendly. They gave me pins, I gave them pens—pens from the Republican Party of Kenosha County.
One lady came up to me and asked me if I had matches because they couldn’t use lighters in the convention. I had a book of matches that I gave her. She asked, Do you have any more because there’s more people here and we have another day yet. So I came back that afternoon with more matchbooks for her. We became friends, and now we’re on Facebook and we call each other and talk with each other. She invited us to go up and see her!
It was mesmerizing just to see all these people who were all for the same cause, that were all for Trump. And that we’re all in it together.
I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’d go up and do it wherever it was.
Keith Humphres
In Kenosha, I was a credential checker and greeter. At the convention, I was at the Baird Center and was a credential checker and security.
It was fun. It was a good time. Perhaps a little unorganized at first. Some of the things we were told to expect weren’t set up, but we knew what we were doing, and everything went smoothly after that. In Milwaukee, it was well organized.
It was people everywhere. Just seeing the people, just feeling like you had a part of what was going on was really prominent when you’re there. Bumping into the delegates and seeing their excitement and talking to them about how happy they were to be there and represent their party and their state. A lot of the delegates came on with a bandage over their ear, and that was pretty nice to see the solidarity.
It was exciting. People were really pumped to be there. People were really having a good time.
Pamela Mundling
I was at the Stella Hotel for a couple of days. Another day I was [in Milwaukee] on the street corner answering questions. The last night I was herding people onto buses, making sure they didn’t get onto the wrong bus, because they’d wind up at the wrong hotel if they got on the wrong bus.
Everybody was real friendly. One lady said everybody’s been just so nice to me, and she gave me her lei – she was from Hawaii. It’s red, white, and blue.
I met delegates from Alaska and Ohio and Hawaii and Texas. Everybody was real nice, even if I couldn’t help them. I just met the rank and file, and worked with them, and they were sweet and friendly and kind.
It was a good time. Wonderful, friendly people, positive atmosphere. Everybody was glad they did it.
Patty Dickow
The first day we checked credentials at the radio media center in the Panther Arena. Later that day, I went over to Fiserv Forum and checked credentials to get into that building. Thursday, I stood outside the where the food trucks were, and just helped people there.
At the media center, we met Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, Vivek Ramaswami. They were all extremely friendly, very welcoming. I talked with Senator Ron Johnson.
It was just an awesome experience. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and they thanked us as volunteers, so it was very positive.
It was a little disorganized the first night. We were a little stressed on how to help these people find water and food and whatnot, but other than that, it was very positive. After Monday, I thought it was very well run.
Unity. Just watching the convention on television, and talking with people from all over. Just talking about the speakers, and the attendees, and how everyone was connected. It really represented the party and the unified message.
It was everyday people. And that’s what we are. That’s who’s voting for Trump.
Do it again? Yes, absolutely.
Sue Kaminski
Worked in Racine. Greeted the guests, the delegates, which happened to be the entire entourage from the state of Kansas.
Got to talk with some of them. Very interesting, very excited. Made sure they knew what was going to be expected with regard to what they should and shouldn’t take. It was really very well organized. The shuttle buses came and the people got on and left, and everybody seemed to be ready to have a great time.
We had two news media there. The one young man was from Australia, a very pleasant person, very interesting to talk to. He was looking forward to getting to the convention and taking in the whole activity that was going to be there and getting the information on President Trump.
It was interesting. I was excited to be there. The people we met—the hotel staff, the delegates, the guests—they were cordial, they were interested in the information we could give them.
Toby Thomas
First day was in front of Fiserv. It was smokin’ hot.
Tuesday, I worked at the media entrance, which is also in front of Fiserv Forum but had a little bit of a tent. The lead volunteer was at the tent and he had a seizure. He was out for about five minutes. He fell and hit his head and cut his face up. The Secret Service saw it on camera and were there right away.
The third day, I was with inside the convention center doing the ADA—people in wheelchairs who needed help getting into their seats. Not the delegates, but anyone else.
Thursday, the first half, I worked at the Baird Center, checking credentials for Freedom First, which are all the biggest donors in the Republican Party. You had to have special credentials to go up to the grand ballroom, so we were like bouncers. Two people from New York City were just unbelievable. This guy said he was Eric Trump’s best friend and I have to let him up there to see Eric. I said, Why don’t you have Eric come down with your credentials, and then I can meet Eric!
There was a guy from Ohio, a delegate, and he was walking in front of Fiserv, and he just talked to us about everything. He wanted to know more about Wisconsin, and more about Kenosha, because Kenosha’s famous for that four, five days four Augusts ago. That was probably the best.
A lot of the volunteers I got to meet … I met a cardiologist from Milwaukee who was a volunteer. I met a VP of sales, a bunch of people from Kenosha who I didn’t know were from Kenosha.
It was exciting. Not every volunteer got a ticket to go inside, but if you got inside, you felt the electricity in the place. I was there for Trump’s acceptance speech. The first ten, twenty minutes of his acceptance speech, was a side of Donald Trump I’ve never seen before. That was a special moment. Everybody should get a chance to see that.
I would do it again, but I wouldn’t sign up for three shifts every day. That was too much.
Zach Stock
I was on the middle-of-the-day shift inside the secure perimeter in downtown Milwaukee.
First day, I was helping with way-finding, directing people to the different venues inside the perimeter—just let them know where the exits were, where Fiserv Forum was, and so on.
The next day, I worked on golf carts—basically, to help people with disabilities, or a special guest who needed expedited transfer. We picked them up and took them where they needed to go.
Next day was more way-finding—people were asking, Hey were do I buy my Trump merch? Where do I get back to Fiserv? Got to meet a lot of people that day, especially all the delegates from the different states. We got to ask, “How are you guys enjoying Wisconsin? How’s Milwaukee?” A lot of great feedback from the attendees. People were really enjoying their visit to Milwaukee. They thought it was really nice, they said everyone was very hospitable. They definitely felt very welcomed in Milwaukee. So, credit the coordinators for doing their job and making sure Milwaukee was welcoming to the delegates from all over the country.
I got to get a picture with Lee Greenwood, the writer of “God Bless the USA.” Saw Vivek Ramaswami. Definitely it was hopping, a busy place.
The biggest memory I have was working during Convention Fest and just connecting with all the delegates that were there visiting Wisconsin. I saw people from Texas, and from Virginia, and Florida, and everywhere, and I was able to welcome them to Milwaukee. Just being able to be that friendly face and welcome people … that part stuck out for me.
Downtown Milwaukee was buzzing with excitement. It was definitely a very excited crowd overall. Inside, it was a lot of smiles, a lot of happy faces, a lot of excitement for the momentum I think that we’re seeing going into November.
CONCLUSION
I worked in hotels in Kenosha and Racine, assisting the delegates from Kansas, Alaska, and Wyoming. I also felt the warmth, the friendliness, the excitement, felt being part of something very big, potentially very important for our nation. It was open and welcoming. Wisconsin and the Republican Party did themselves proud, and I am glad that I was part of it.
—RPKC Member Frederick Butzen
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