If there is one thing that is essential to the well-being of a community it is a willingness of its residents to volunteer.
Traditionally, Saskatchewan has a proud heritage in terms of volunteerism, but things do change.
“We’re having a little trouble. The run coordinator stepped down,” explained Allison Doan, community and schools coordinator with the Terry Fox Foundation (Saskatchewan). “We’re having some difficulty finding anyone to take over the run.”
This may be atypical in the sense Yorkton people generally step up, and it is likely the Terry Fox Run will move forward when someone picks up the baton.
But the situation is certainly a reminder the community needs people to step up and invest countless hours as volunteers to ensure a wide variety of events and activities take place in Yorkton.
Much of the tourism draw for the community is events based: the just past Yorkton Film Festival, the upcoming summer fair, Sunflower, the Parkland Outdoor Expo and a number of other notable events bring people to the city each year.
Locally, visitors to the Yorkton area spent an estimated $38.1 million directly in the Yorkton constituency, noted a presentation to Yorkton Council in May of this year. That is important dollars in terms of the city’s economy.
And, without volunteers working selflessly behind the scenes such events would not take place, and the tourists spending their dollars would not take place.
But volunteers do more than help the economy percolate.
Without volunteers there would not be a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, or Western Major Baseball League team in the city to enjoy.
There would be no Godfrey Dean Gallery, which recently opened its 10th annual ‘Landscape and Memory’ art show. The event attracted art from some 60 local-area artists who contributed 165 pieces.
There would be no dance groups, no community choir, no minor sports organizations, no teams, no many things.
The list of what volunteers do is long enough to fill pages in a publication such as this, and that is what makes their efforts such an integral part of community.
So when an opening occurs to be a volunteer it is hopefully something everyone at least takes a moment to consider. It is a great way to give back to your community.
