Get ready to do it all again in 2008!

Letter to the Editor,
This weekend was the wrap up of another season of very successful festivals and events hosted in our community of Rainy River. RailRoad Daze, The Giant Pumpkin festival and the Rainy River Walleye Tournament are perhaps the most visible. And we have a host of other, smaller but no less important events like bonspiels, socials, markets, music, theatre, soccer, figure skating, hockey and baseball tournaments. In spite of the whiners and ‘can’t be doners’, this community of Rainy River and area is amazingly successful
The success of all these events has one common factor- volunteers. And for a our little community, it is amazing what has been and will be accomplished. As you must appreciate, the work required to plan, organize, and cleanup afterward on these events is a gargantuan undertaking.
Those volunteers, whether it is a quiet, unassuming Frank Advent, making sure the trash is removed quickly and thoroughly, a municipal crew going beyond the call to make sure tables, trailers, and tent stakes are delivered, installed and removed, a gaggle of Wiersemas pumpkining overtime, a handful of event directors working without reward or recognition for months and months, or an army of everybody putting up and taking down the Big Tent in a couple of hours, all deserve our sincere thank you and support.
So let’s get ready to do it again in 2008 only even better. If you are asked to lend a hand, please do. Better still don’t wait to be asked, offer a hand. And when you look in the mirror every morning, say thank you to that face staring back at you. You deserve it.

–Jack & Norma Elliott
Rainy River, Ont.