Friday, February 6th, 2015
Volume 78 • No. 38
the OBSERVER
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Arcola Optimist Club Snowmobile Rally an annual fundraising success story
INSIDE Winter Festival coming to Wawota – page 3
Lions host curling fun day – page 6
“Observed At” Staff photo by Lynne Bell
The 22nd Annual Arcola Snowmobile Rally welcomed 243 riders from Saskatchewan and Manitoba on Saturday, Jan. 31. Although a lack of snow in areas affected rider numbers, the Arcola Optimist Club works to ensure the annual event is a financial and charitable success before it even takes place. This year was no exception, and the club credits generous sponsors, community organizations that work alongside the Optimists, riders and spectators for the rally’s enduring popularity. By Lynne Bell The 22nd Annual Arcola Snowmobile Rally was a success before it started. Although the over 100 kilometres of scenic snowmobile trails winding through the Moose Mountains and Moose Mountain Provincial Park had minimal snow cover this year, Optimist Club secretary-treasurer Glen Lawson of Arcola, says, “We know where we are (financially) before the day starts.” “The key is our sponsorship. That allows us to do this riskfree.” “We also have a lot of community organizations, such as the High School, the Arcola Firefighters, the (Moose Mountain) 4-H, and the figure skating club that work the event and benefit from it, too.” This year the snowmobile rally hosted riders from: Arcola, Alida, Carnduff, Grenfell, Kenosee Lake, Langham, Manor, Melfort, Melville, Norquay, Outlook, Regina, Saskatoon, Storthoaks, and Birtle, Manitoba. Previously, as many as 500 riders have participated in the daylong event, and one year, says Lawson, there was almost no snow. “That year, we just opened it up,” he says. “We awarded all the rider prizes anyway, and it turned out to be a great day. It’s always scheduled for the last Saturday in January, and we always are able to make it work.” “It’s really a community fundraiser,” he says. “This year, the bulk of the Optimists’ share (of the proceeds) will go to the (MacMurray) theatre. We also partner with Prairie Place, the Arcola Curling Club, the (Arcola) daycare, and the Moose Mountain
Wildlife Fund, along with the groups who work the rally with us.” Most of this year’s participants started their rides in the Prairie Place parking lot. However, due to the light snow cover, many riders hauled their trailers and machines to the nearby trails in search of more snow, and rode from there. Volunteers from the Moose Mountain Snowmobile Club, provincial park staff, and members of the Optimist Club usually mark and groom trails for the event. This year, each rider received a map of the area and chose their own routes. “With the (lack of) snow in places, the trails would be trashed pretty quickly if a couple of hundred sleds went over them all at once,” said one rider. “There’s just not enough snow for that this year.” Brandon Englot of Manor has participated in the Arcola rally, “For years, for sure. It’s always a good ride.” Englot’s cousin, Tim Englot, and Kourtlin Hodgson, both of Manor, along with Travis Benner and Taylor Hoey of Arcola, attracted attention with their entry - an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) pulling a couch. “We came up with (the idea) pretty quickly, and spent all day yesterday putting it together,” laughed Englot. Another rider, Eileen Corrigan of Arcola, says,” It was surprisingly good. The trails were actually pretty good, once you got going.” Mechanic, Osama Amin of Arcola, who hails from Giza, Egypt, declared his first-ever snowmobile ride as, “Awesome.”
– page 13
Carlyle Firefighter fundraiser – page 25
Continued on page 2
EARLY DEADLINE For February 20th issue is THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12th at noon
NEW ARRIVALS EVERYDAY . . . . SPRING 2015
Letters from Africa – page 27