As we recognize National Volunteer Month this April, we are reminded that the strength of our community that has always been found in the people who quietly step forward, roll up their sleeves, and serve without expectation of recognition. 

 

That spirit shows up year after year at the annual JJ’s Legacy Gala & Golf Tournament.

Guests see the beautifully set tables, the polished program, and the powerful stories shared from the stage. What they don’t always see are the 25 to 30 volunteers working behind the scenes to make it all possible. 

 

They are business owners, retirees, parents, students, transplant recipients, donor families, and friends. Some have served since the very first event. Others stepped in because someone they love needed a transplant. Each one carries a personal reason for being there. 

 

And each one, in their own way, answers the same question: 

 

For many, it begins with a story. 

 

JJ’s Legacy was founded to support local patients on the organ transplant waiting list and to educate our community about the lifesaving power of organ, eye, and tissue donation. In Kern County, those waiting lists are not statistics. They are neighbors. They are classmates. They are coworkers. They are families sitting in hospital rooms hoping for a second chance. 

 

Our volunteers understand that reality deeply. 

 

Some have waited for “the call.” They know the stillness of a hospital room and the sound of hope in a phone ringing at 2 a.m. Others have witnessed the miracle of donation firsthand because someone made the selfless decision to say yes. And some volunteer because they believe that when a need arises in our community, it is our responsibility to meet it. 

 

The Gala & Golf Tournament is more than a fundraiser. It is a gathering of purpose. It is where Bakersfield businesses sponsor tables not just for visibility, but because they believe in investing locally. It is where golfers tee off knowing their participation supports transplant patients right here at home. It is where a ballroom grows quiet as a donor family shares their story and you can feel the room shift. 

 

Behind that experience is a team that works months in advance. 

 

Volunteers secure sponsors and auction items. They coordinate vendors. They design décor. They manage guest check-in. They oversee golf registration before sunrise. They stay late packing up long after the final song plays. 

 

They do not do it for applause or recognition. 

 

They do it because they have seen what happens when a community rallies around something bigger than itself. 

 

Founder and donor mother (and your neighbor), Lori Malkin, has witnessed that support for more than 16 years. “When we started JJ’s Legacy, our mission was clear – to honor Jeffrey Johns by educating Kern County residents on the value and importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation, increasing the number of registered donors, and providing compassionate support to donor and recipient families,” she says. “But a mission statement only becomes meaningful when people step in to carry it forward. Our volunteers have done exactly that. There have been moments when this work felt overwhelming, and they showed up with strength and heart. Their support has never gone unnoticed, and I am deeply grateful for every hour they give and every family they help us serve.” 

 

That gratitude is echoed across the organization. 

 

One long-time committee member shared, “Because someone in this room is waiting for a transplant, and they deserve to know their community cares.” 

 

Another volunteer put it simply: “It’s one day on my calendar. For someone else, it could mean more days on theirs.” 

 

That is the heart of volunteerism in our community. 

 

We are a city where familiar faces greet you at the grocery store. Where business leaders coach youth sports and serve on nonprofit boards. Where connections are relational, not transactional. 

 

At JJ’s Legacy, we see that network of generosity come alive every spring. 

 

We see it in high school students setting up auction displays. 
We see it in retirees welcoming guests with a smile. 
We see it in sponsors who say, “Put us down again this year.” 
We see it in families who attend to honor a loved one. 

 

For 16 years, 25 to 30 dedicated volunteers annually have formed the backbone of this event. Roles shift. New faces join. But the mission remains constant: to honor Jeffrey Johns and to serve donor and recipient families with compassion and action. 

 

The 16th Annual JJ’s Legacy Gala & Golf Tournament will once again bring Bakersfield together – around dinner tables, on the green, and in shared purpose. Stories will be told. Funds will be raised. Lives will be supported. 

 

So, this April, perhaps the better question is not simply, “Why do I volunteer?” 

Maybe it is, “Where can I step in?” 

 

Because in Bakersfield, when there is a need, we do not wait. 

 

We show up. Just check out some of the photos of volunteers from over the years.  If you feel called to be part of this mission, JJ’s Legacy welcomes volunteers ready to serve at this year’s Gala & Golf Tournament and beyond.