Dear Editor:
This year’s Mapleton Sunflower Festival had 341 runners participating in the morning run and throughout the day another 500 people came through the sunflower festival.
Together they raised $9,000 dollars so far for Palmerston hospital to be able to purchase a new ice machine.
When our loved ones are in the hospital and we are helpless it is a nice thing to be able to bring them ice water.
Thank you so much to all the participants and Cara Smith, The Moore Band, Bernie Hale and The Rogersons!
What talented wonderful people!
Thank you to our run volunteers keeping people on the course, registration volunteers for getting people out on time.
Thank you to our bartenders and food and market vendors.
Thank you to our wagon drivers – close friends of Matt. We miss Matt very much, it means a lot his friends come together to make this event happen. It isn’t just driving wagons. It’s set up, pulling weeds and more.
Thank you to our families for your help and patience the weeks leading up. Could not do it without you!
Thank you the fire department for lending us tents and to the township for lending us picnic tables.
Special thanks to the Driscoll family for lending their basket ball grain bin and kiddy tractor pull pulling equipment!
A lot of willing hands makes this day come together.
A lot of wonderful memories were made in the dust this year.
What a perfect rain to wake up to the next morning!
We are taking next year off but we will be back in full swing after that. Our next event will be Aug, 14, 2027.
Sunflower festival committee,
Mapleton