Behind the Curtain
Believe it or not, running a volunteer group is tough work! We’ve had several different admins throughout the lifetime of our happy little community who’ve laid the groundwork for a successful organization, and we are forever grateful for all of their accomplishments.
Listed here, you’ll find the current admins of Cosplay Volunteers of Atlanta. You’ll note that these admins are also themselves volunteers; not only do they participate often in events as performers/costumed characters, but they also volunteer their own time to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Thus, when contacting our admins, please be aware that they, too, are human: they have their own lives outside of CVoA. Please be patient in expecting a response.
Without further ado, here is our wonderful and dedicated team of admins!
Sachiko Parrish
Admin: Volunteer Relations Liaison & Costume Review Committee Supervisor
she/her
Sachiko has been one of our original volunteers since our very first CVOA hospital visit back in 2013. She is also the mommy of the first CVOA production baby! Sachiko is a multiracial woman of Japanese, Black, Native, White, and Latinx descent, and she is very passionate about connecting with all of her heritages.
Sachiko is a Sister of Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., a Pan-Asian Interest (non-exclusive) sorority, which she has previously served as a board member for multiple years. Their pillars of sisterhood, service, and cultural diversity, are values she has carried with her as a volunteer of CVOA.
A true Disney Princess at heart, Sachiko loves being a part of bringing that magic to children at volunteering events. Interacting with children and seeing their eyes light up are experiences she will always treasure. She is forever in awe by their strength, courage, and childlike wonder. Sachiko is forever grateful to the Founder Gina Gareau-Clark for inviting her to be a part of the group, and it has been such an honor to see how much CVOA has flourished since day 1, and she is so thankful to be a part of it!
Danielle Tharpe
Admin: Social Media Coordinator & Event Supervisor
she/her
Danielle Tharpe is a teacher by day and Disney fanatic 24/7. When she’s not buried in lesson plans and grading, she enjoys spending time with her fur babies, Leia and Izzy. She and her husband enjoy going to the beach and anywhere there is fantastic seafood. Danielle has been cosplaying for 8 years, but her focus now is more on being a handler for events and helping run the social media pages for CVOA. Her favorite Disney character is Winnie the Pooh and just like him, she always tries to find positivity no matter how many little black rain clouds there are. She joined CVoA with Amber in 2014 and knows her way around the organization.
Amber Lockhart
Admin: General Secretary
she/her (they/them is also fine)
Amber started volunteering with CVoA in 2014 after searching for ways to be more active in the community, as she’s always devoted herself to helping others. Since that first event at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, she’s been fully hooked on the idea of charity work and cosplay—two of her biggest passions. She’s pretty familiar with the role of admin, and her duties consist of general secretarial things: answering emails, updating events, and fielding questions from volunteers and even setting up this website!
When she’s not volunteering/performing, Amber tends to her five loving dogs, a chameleon, a bearded dragon, and her wonderful boyfriend. She is disabled and suffers from fibromyalgia and axial spondyloarthritis (a form of rheumatoid arthritis), so volunteering is a nice escape for her. Being able to bring smiles to children’s faces is everything to her.
You can follow her cosplay and general life adventures on her Instagram amberthysts.
TJ Reese
Admin: CVoA Social Club Liaison
he/him
TJ is a recent graduate of Fort Valley State University with a degree in criminal justice. Outside of work and school he streams on Twitch (Mecha_Kidd), hosts a podcast called ATL Nerdcast, is a part time avenger, AND entertains at children’s birthday parties! Phew! TJ’s cosplay specialty is armor foam crafting and detailing and he is currently building a Falcon and War Machine cosplay! All of this and he still has time to be an admin for CVOA and our favorite power ranger!