A scary thought

As we all know, summer means community festivals. And here in Rainy River District, we’re fortunate to have several that are held year after year to not only give local residents something to do but also attract much-needed visitors to our area.
There’s Fun in the Sun activities at Point Park here on Canada Day, “Railroad Daze” in Rainy River in July, and, the granddaddy of them all, the Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society’s fall fair in Emo each August. And that’s not to mention the myriad of fishing tournaments–ranging from the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship to the Emo Walleye Classic, “Castin’ For Cash” hosted by Lake Despair Lodge, the Rainy River Walleye Tournament and still others in between.
Though new this year, the inaugural “Pride Week” held here from July 9-15 is likely to become an annual event.
While each one offers something a little different to suit everyone’s interests, all of them have a common denominator: volunteers.
Whether it’s being involved in the many months of planning that go into organizing each of these events, or filling one role or another while they’re going on, none of these would happen without people stepping forward to give of their time and efforts.
It’s easy to take for granted that these events will keep rolling along each year because, well, they always have. What everyone often loses sight of, though, is just how much work goes into staging them for all our benefit.
Can you imagine Rainy River District without all of these events? A scary thought, indeed.
We all can help ensure that prospect never comes to be. Be sure to thank a volunteer or, better yet, offer to lend a helping hand yourself.