As huge truckloads of hay continued to head out of town last week, they made way for the flood of international visitors pouring in for the 2018 Junior Motocross World Championship.
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It’s not every day you bump into Team France kicking around in your local Target, but I’m pretty sure we all made a good impression.
If our international infused weekend wasn’t a wonderful win for everyone, it is not because we weren’t all trying.
Surely every volunteer in town was engaged getting the “promote our region” job done.
With the Dooen event appearing on the world stage, we had local talent on the Sawyer Park sound shell stage.
Operation 19:14’s thirty free activities showed the world just how generously we look after each other in our community, as well as entertaining any blow-ins lucky enough to come our way.
My girls are always expected to help out where they can at community events, so yesterday they took on face painting, side-show alley spruiking and emcee responsibilities – all delivered with a smile and loads of youthful energy – fuelled by popcorn, donuts and fruit kebabs of course.
Those smiles and energy are not always freely volunteered though, and I sometimes have to pick my battles to win the war.
I needed a child or two for a promotional photograph last week, and I knew I’d face opposition from my two youngest daughters. Pre-warned, I was prepared, and began my application with the explanation of exactly what payment would be made to anyone willing to help with the unpopular task.
Completely sold out to the idea of her free choice of chocolate, 12-year-old Tiani was a pushover and did not hesitate to promise sweet smiles of compliance.
Fourteen-year-old Yasinta was torn. Desperately keen on the chocolate, she could not agree to the death by embarrassment the proffered promotional photograph would entail.
Letting her off the hook, somehow I don’t think Yasinta trusted me, because as the photographer advanced up our driveway, she jumped on the four wheeler and disappeared down the back at such speed that I wondered if the international motocross might consider her for a wild card.
Tiani will grow out of bribery too soon, so I’m making hay while the sun shines.
Yolande Grosser