SUNDRE – Families who spend no shortage of their hard-earned money in local businesses are an important part of any community’s economy, says the Sundre & District Chamber of Commerce’s president.
That’s why Marc Crouch is committed to working on offering young families a fun afternoon full of activities, music and snacks by organizing the annual Sundre Youth Fest in coordination with The Den – Sundre Youth Centre as well as supporting businesses.
The third annual Sundre Youth Fest on Saturday, Sept. 16 was once again held at the Sundre Skatepark, with all expenses involved covered by the chamber, said Crouch.
That included free refreshing treats that were doled out by Olly’s Ice Cream as well as some hot dogs and drinks distributed by volunteers from The Den.
There was also a balloon artist, rock painting, as well as a face painter, while children got to take turns having fun on the skatepark’s beginner, intermediate, and more advanced features riding bikes, skateboards and scooters.
Sarah Henn, who just earlier this month became the chamber’s executive director, said that while an exact head count wasn’t tracked, an estimated 150 people dropped by at one point or another throughout the four-hour event, down a little bit from last year.
Those who did attend enjoyed themselves and “all the activities we brought out were a hit,” she said, adding the beautiful weather was also a bonus.
“It was a great day,” she said, adding there “was a lot of fun to be had.”
Although Crouch had hoped for a bigger turnout, he was nevertheless glad to see all of the faces of those who did attend.
“Everybody that did come out was happy to be there,” said Crouch. “We had lots of fun.”
The town might have a higher-than-average senior population that must be considered in local decision-making to address needs, but the community is also comprised of all kinds of different families from various backgrounds, said Crouch.
“Sundre is a unique community and has so many variations of people coming,” he said, expressing a desire to get local businesses more involved in working together to put on events for – and along the way to celebrate – young families.
To that end, Crouch is committed to continue making Sundre Youth Fest an annual event and hopes to find ways to entice even more people to come out next year.
Both Crouch and Henn expressed gratitude not only to the volunteers who pitched in to help make the youth fest possible, but also participating members of the local business community for supporting the family-friendly event.
“We’re all moving ahead with the same goal of having a good place to raise our kids,” said Crouch.