Another successful Little Current Lions Club Haweater Weekend and Wiikwemkoong Cultural Festival are now in the rear-view mirror, but for countless families, friends and neighbours, 2023 will live on as pleasant memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. Once the start of a downward slide in activity on Manitoulin Island, the August long weekend has seen a dramatic shift as thanks to the hard work of Island entrepreneurs KT and Craig Timmermans, Rockin’ the Rock (RtR) and this coming weekend’s Manitoulin Country Fest (MCF) have changed that tourism paradigm, as have the organizers of the expanding Pride Manitoulin festivities and the venerable Providence Bay Fair this weekend—definitely a tourism draw.
None of these events would be possible, however, without the efforts of a relatively small group of hardy volunteers who give up the bulk of their August long weekend in order to provide service to their community. We say hardy, not tireless, because those Lions Club members and the volunteers, as well as those who volunteer at RtR and MCF are plenty tired by the time Monday comes around.
They all deserve a most heartfelt thank you.
Haweater Weekend has metamorphized from a rowdy, party through the night event into a very family-friendly weekend with plenty of things for all ages. That change was a conscious effort by the Lions Club to make the event more enjoyable for families and they managed to change the course of Haweater onto a family track.
The low-key presence of the Manitoulin OPP throughout the event, often seen, but in no way could it be said they were an overbearing presence, deserve credit for helping keep the event in the family-friendly lane with a gentle hand.
Of course, Little Current is not alone in enjoying the fruits of volunteer labour, as volunteers across the Island step up to support their own communities’ homecoming events. Without them, our communities would be much the poorer, both figuratively and literally.
The cost of putting on such events without them, if at all possible, would require the outlay of considerable funds while producing much-truncated celebrations.
Many hands, it is said, make for light work. When the next event takes place in our Island communities, consider offering a hand to the local organizers of the event. They can always use the help.
One of the great challenges of putting on an event like Haweater Weekend, Wiikwemkoong Cultural Festival, or Harbour Days, or Summer Fest, or Pride Weekend, is the danger of volunteer burnout. Another concern is the loss of corporate memory, the knowledge of what needs to be done and when, should a key volunteer be lost. The more hands on deck, the smoother the sailing can be.
From a grateful community to all the volunteers who make our community events such wonderful family events, it can never be said enough: thank you.
