Recognition and another date shift for the Redneck Games

Minto’s Redneck Games are going to “git ’er done” a few months earlier next summer.

Mayor David Anderson said the Redneck Games gets a lot of local groups and service clubs working together on a single project. Of course, this year, organizers also had to deal with the weather.

He joked “Mother Nature was a bit harsh this year, but I’ve talked with her and things will be better next year.”

Even with the wet weather, the Redneck Games earned a profit of nearly $10,000.

Recreation Director David Stonley and business and economic development manager Belinda Wick-Graham gave a brief recap of the 2008 games.

Stonley said since the inception of the games, one of the missions was to get local groups working together. This year, 22 groups took part, an increase of 36%, Stonley said.

“It’s a fantastic amount of involvement by the community,” he noted.

Wick-Graham added the other major goal was to help raise funds for the community. She thanks the numerous sponsors, without whom some of the events were not possible.

With a profit of roughly $9,858, she said it allows a start-up fund for next year of $2,465, with the remainder to be divided among the various community groups.

Stonley said another goal was to put Minto on the map – which it has done – again. In addition to once again being listed as one of the top 100 festivals in Ontario, Minto also hosted the Wagon Train RV group from Petrolia which remained in the town for the duration of the event.

He said there was also considerable media coverage and this year the redneck website reached over 500,000 hits.

Wick-Graham added that 2008 was a success – despite the rain. And it is, apparently a success others have tried to copy.

Last year, the town applied for a trademark for the name –  a decision that prov­­ed to be fortunate. Stonley said this year a community in northern Ontario attempted to copy it – literally.

It seemed someone went into the Minto website and essentially cloned its content.

“It is fortunate we had the trademark,” Stonley said.

New weekend for games

In 2008, the games shifted to mid-August, but now they are moving back to June.

Stonley said the decision was made for a number of reasons. Organizers came to realize that “events planned for earlier in the summer tend to be more successful.”

For those involved in the event, it meant worrying about it all summer. And, he added, some visitors by that time are gearing down and getting ready for September. So, he said, the decision was made to move the event to the last weekend in June with the hopes it will be­come bigger and better.

Deputy-mayor Judy Dirk­sen added the move will also benefit the various groups. This was the first year she was not part of the core committee.

“Even though organizers might be pulling their hair out [trying to keep on top of everything], people only saw how smoothly everything went,” she said.

Anderson said all the groups worked together to achiev­e ex­cellent results.

“It’s not only a lot of good fun and recreation, but it is good economic development. It is a real asset to our community,” the mayor said.

 

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