Minto’s business and economic manager Belinda Wick-Graham spoke on the awards of the Town of Minto’s Canadian Redneck Games at council last week.
Wick-Graham said the night’s presentation was a combination of noting the town’s award at Festival and Events Ontario and the coming Town of Minto Canadian Redneck Games on the weekend of June 26 and 27.
Backtracking, Wick-Graham noted a group of RVers visited the Redneck Games last year.
“They wrote an amazing article about the event, despite the pouring rain, in RV Lifestyle – a cross Canada magazine.”
She said 130,000 copies were printed.
Wick-Graham said the last line of the article highly recommended the Redneck Games to anyone. She called it free advertising from RVers to other RVers.
Wick-Graham sent the article along with RV packages to potential visitors to encourage more overnight stays, with spinoffs to the local economy.
“As a result of all the fun last year,” Wick-Graham said she and others were in Burlington as part of the top 100 Festival and Events Ontario.
“We’re very pleased with that, considering the crappy weather we’ve had … that we’re still considered a top event. They don’t just look at attendance and how much money was raised. They look at the uniqueness of the event, audience participation, and the effect it has on the community.”
Wick-Graham said that the event “won the best community involvement award, which I think is even better than being in the top 100 for us – and for the second time in three years.”
She explained one of the original goals for the event all along was to bring the community together.
Mayor David Anderson said it was a great night when the awards were presented. He said the word of the redneck games is being spread across Ontario.
“It’s generating more and more enthusiasm,” Anderson said.
Recreation Director David Stonley said Minto is competing with events from many larger communities in Ontario.
Wick-Graham said the events are chosen from about 5,000 festivals.
2009 Games
Stonley said “We’ve changed the weekend … again. This is definitely the last change.”
He said there was some good discussion and the feeling at the committee was that waiting until further in summer is kind of taxing on everyone involved.
He said that for some, with the anticipation, “You kind of spent your whole summer concentrating on it.”
Stonley said the other issue is weather patterns.
“When we looked at weather patterns, we found there was more chance of it being not the type of weather we were looking for … and the type that we experienced last year.”
“We’ve moved it to the end of June. We think that is going to put us in a very good position at the beginning of big major events.
Councillor Rick Hembly said, “A premiere event …”
Stonley said the hope is it will be very successful, and there is “lots of new stuff” this year.
One of those with be Loco Zydeco – a scrub board band, which Stonley said will be very appropriate for the type of even we are running.
Other entertainment includes a farmer comedian and a juggler.
“There’s new stuff this year and we’re pretty excited about it.”
Wick-Graham said there will be a few changes to Friday’s comedy night, which will be held at the Palmerston community centre. The new venue will allow food and drink to be served.
Other planned events include a mix of favourites : the redneck breakfast, hubcap hurl, Little Canadian Redneck Games, a mechanical bull and a water blaster maze, food and beer garden, bobbin’ for pigs’ feet, mud pit belly flop, mud pit slip and slide, redneck horseshoes, and the mud pit tug-of-war
Sunday again will host a mud volleyball tournament at Clifford’s Rotary Parkall Tournament
Stonley said one of the original goals was to get as many community groups involved as possible. He said all of the groups will return for this year’s event.
Wick-Graham hopes for a bit more participation this year, providing the weather holds out. She asked for council’s participation in a float, and to act as judges for the slip and slide competition.
As well, organizers hoped council would sponsor a mud volleyball team.
Groups supported through the Canadian Redneck Games include: Clifford & District Lions Club, Clifford Rotary Club, Early Learning Centre, Girl Guides, Harriston Figure Skating Club, Harriston Kinsmen, Harriston Legion, Harriston-Minto Agricultural Society, Minto Minnows Swim Team, Minto Optimist Club, Norgan Theatre Fundraising Committee, Palmerston Agricultural Society, Palmerston Figure Skating Club, Palmerston Kinettes, Palmerston Legion, Palmerston Swim Team, Palmerston Trail Association, Pathfinders, Sparks, St. George’s Anglican Church, and Youth for Christ.
