Wise choice

It seems to happen quite often here. A club or group announces an event—only to discover the date conflicts with something else already planned.
On the bright side, a myriad of events is indicative of a vibrant community. The downside, of course, is that multiple events being held simultaneously can detract from attendance and/or financial support given there’s a finite number of people and dollars to tap into.
The “Relay for Life” and Boundary Waters Dragon Boat Festival fell on the same date last year. And while successful in their own right, both may have seen even more participation had they been held on different days.
Rather than face that same conundrum this year, the two groups announced last week they’re teaming up to hold their events together on Saturday, June 25 at the Sorting Gap Marina.
True, people still will have to decide whether to enter teams in the “Relay for Life” or dragon boat festival. But by at least sharing the same venue this time, the combined events should draw more spectators to the riverfront—creating a more exciting atmosphere, as well as the potential to raise more money by having a bigger crowd on hand than would be the case if these were being held across town.
Equally important, it sounds like the perfect lead-in to “Peaceful Border Days” festivities revolving around the July 1 and Fourth of July holidays the following weekend.
Given our relatively short summer here in Rainy River District, it’s all but impossible for events not to conflict with one thing or another. In this case, “Relay” and dragon boat organizers wisely chose to make the best of the situation by working together, not apart, for the betterment of both.