New Rec. Director revives Railroad Daze

By Ken Johnston
Editor

There is a new Recreation Director at the Rainy River Recreation Centre.
Travis Vandenbrand has hired on with the RR Rec. Board for the summer and has already reenergized the activities list for the season.
He started about three weeks ago with a mailed out survey to local and surrounding communities to see what recreational opportunities they were interested in. Of the nearly 1,100 surveys sent out only about 40 of them were returned. While that disappointed Vandenbrand he has taken the ones returned and is using the responses to shape a summer rec. program.
Number one on the list is the revival of Railroad Daze which was first started in 1988 and ran for about fifteen years. After the Rainy River centennial in 2004 Railroad Daze never got back on its feet.
Well Vandenbrand has began coordinating the event’s return this July 20-22nd. A slow-pitch tournament has been scheduled for the weekend. A horseshoes tourney, kids games, a Harry Potter book launch party at the library, the annual cardboard duct tape boat races and the Covenant Church Music Fest are all scheduled for that weekend. The Legion has also offered to do a steak fry and hold a dance that weekend.
“It all comes down to volunteers,” explained Travis. “The more volunteers we have the more events we can offer.” He noted that anyone interested in helping or hosting an event that weekend or entering the ball tournament can call him at the Rec. Centre weekdays at 807-852-4446.
Vandenbrand is also working on a summer kids program for elementary school ages. Again he needs volunteers to help offer as many activities as possible. “I hope to have sports, games and other similar activities.” If he can get help he hopes to offer slow-pitch and t-ball for kids.
This job is right up his alley. He is working on his physical education degree at the University of Manitoba. He also took a Recreation Services program with Confederation College. He has also worked with the Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg organizing recreational activities for inner-city kids.
Other items identified on the survey as wants by citizens included a skate park, dance classes and activities for Canada Day.
Canada is coming too fast and Railroad Daze is taking up much of Travis’ time right now. He said the board hopes with some planning that they can do something next year on Canada Day. As for the dance classes he hopes to enlist some local volunteers that have the teaching background to offer some kids dances workshops this summer.