The Week the Volunteers Went Away
You have probably all heard of the CBC show The Week the Women Went where all of the women leave the town for a week. Well imagine if it was titled The Week the Volunteers Went and all of the volunteers left and it was taking place in our community July 18 - July 25.
Oh my goodness folks it wouldn’t be pretty. Seriously! Who would take the place of the 6 a.m. flower power crew and keep our community beautiful? Who would deliver Meals on Wheels or power up the wheels on the Handi-Bus and motor out to the Cash Bingo run by volunteers in Cereal?
Who would help with the festivities during Empress Daze? They have a Summer Curling Bonspiel, a ball tournament, parade, yummy pancake breakfast, and dinners.
Who would set up tables and chairs for the Oyen Show & Shine so you can enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast? Who would organize the kiddies and their decorated hot rods in the Bike Parade Saturday morning? Who would show the shiny cars where to park? Who would give taxi rides in the Model T and Federal Scout between the museum and the Oyen Show and Shine? Who would help the museum staff serve up an old time lunch at the Crossroads?
Who would bake for the Farmer’s Market bake table- possibly Victim Service’s, 4-H or maybe the United Church Women?
And please don’t have a fire or car accident because the fire department wouldn’t be here either and I don’t want my office or house to burn down!
Then there are the Precision Team Riders preparing for the Crossroads Grand Opening. Those horses would have a hard time performing the drill without their accomplished riders, as would the horses entered in the upcoming horse show.
Who would take in entries for the Cereal Sports Day or work in the beer gardens or kitchen?
Who would help the car derby kids build their cars to race them down the track? Those kids sure would be disappointed! There would be no splishing or splashing for the Otters at the swim meet in Calgary and who would help the many ball teams as they prepare and fundraise for upcoming tournaments, one of which is a National Championship to be held right here in Oyen?
And let’s not forget the 2009 11th Annual White Lightning Dodge Professional Cowboy Crunch. aka...BULLARAMA! Who would sell you admission or 50/50 tickets, beer in the beer gardens for those over 18, cook the food, help the cowboys, run the gates, do the announcing, play the tunes, tease the bulls, get the sponsors, arrange the advertising or hire the band for you to two step the night away?
Then to top it off who would write about all of these happenings in each community?
Heck, it really wouldn’t matter who would do these jobs during the Week the Volunteers Went because there would be nobody here.