Staff
The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for its 23rd-annual Home and Leisure Show this Friday and Saturday (April 29-30) at the Memorial Sports Centre.
And this year’s event, sponsored mainly by TBayTel and the Chamber, promises to offer many new things, said Chamber manager Anthony Mason.
“We’ve got lots new this year—‘Minute to Win It,’ the ‘Strongman’ competition which has never happened in this area before,” he noted.
“Come down [and] see everything that we have to offer. We have a lot of attractions,” added Mason.
“There’s going to be a lot of interesting booths this year, a lot of new ones that haven’t been here before,” he enthused.
The show will run Friday from 4-9 p.m. and then Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The “Strongman” competition will run Friday from 6-9 p.m. and feature men competing in various feats of strength (see story elsewhere in this edition of the Times).
“Minute to Win It,” meanwhile, will take place at various times throughout Saturday. Based on the popular TV game show, Mason said the contest will works as follows:
Throughout the day, the Chamber will announce they will give patrons a chance to win Chamber of Commerce gift certificates.
They will pick two people randomly and have them do a challenge. The winner of the challenge then will get to do a solo challenge for $20 in Chamber bucks.
If they’re successful, they can keep doing challenges until they win $100, lose a challenge and be eliminated, or choose to stop and keep their winnings up to that point.
If they choose to stop, they can keep what they’ve won while the balance of the remaining $100 limit will go back into the pot, upping the possible amount the next competitor can win.
For example, a contestant wins three challenges for $60 in Chamber bucks. They then choose to stop and keep their winnings. The $40 they could have won goes into the pot, raising the total amount the next contestant could win to $140.
If a contestant loses, their potential winnings also go back into the pot, thus raising the total possible amount to be won by the next contestant.
More contestants will be randomly chosen to compete and the process will continue (only a limited number of contestants will be chosen).
In the past, the Chamber would hold an attendance draw for Chamber dollars, noted Mason. But they opted to make it a contest this time around.
“We wanted to make something new, something fresh,” he explained. “One of our committee members said, ‘Why don’t we do ‘Minute to Win It?’
“This way people get involved,” Mason reasoned. “It’s gong to be fun to watch, fun to do.”
Meanwhile, the show itself will feature nearly 40 exhibitors, representing businesses from within Rainy River District as well as Winnipeg and Thunder Bay.
The exhibitors range from home improvement and landscaping, carpeting, flooring, windows and doors, insulation, cabinetry, and furniture to baking, pest control, insurance, financial services, oral health, car detailing, and scooters and lift chairs.
Those shopping for boats, motors, and ATVs can check out Badiuk Equipment, which will be set up in the ’52 Canadians Arena, while those looking for cars, trucks, and SUVs can stop by Sunset Country Ford’s display on the main floor of the Ice For Kids Arena.
The non-profit sector also will be on hand again this year.
The La Verendrye Hospital Auxiliary, for instance, will be “Rockin’ for a Reason,” where special guests and volunteers who have collected pledges will be rocking on rocking chairs to raise funds for auxiliary projects.
The Riverside Foundation for Health Care also will be selling its Canada Day raffle tickets during the trade show.
Familiar features also will return to the event, including demonstrations by Energy Fitness Centre, the Fort Frances High School “chem-free” grad cake roulette, the amateur and cutest pet photo contests, and a kids’ corner with an inflatable castle.
The popular “Plinko” game also will return, with players guaranteed to win a prize every time. The grand prize is a patio set courtesy of Wal-Mart.
As well, specific exhibitors will be having giveaways and draws, or special contests.
Admission to the show is $3.
