Merritt’s Rotary Park was packed this Sunday, with hundreds of locals gathering to support a local event and enjoy an action-packed community event. The first annual Community Family Day saw families participating in sack races, tug of war, ring toss, mini golf, and enjoying the live entertainment.
Hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 96, in partnership with United Way, the one day event was free of charge to all attendees. Hot dogs were served to fuel all the fun to be had at a number of game stations. The warm weather allowed for the use of the splash park, drawing in children and adults alike.
“It was awesome! We gave away our full 288 hot dogs, and could have done more,” said President Arlene Johnston.
“We had the Merritt Centennials participate in sack races, it was just an awesome sunny day. We had First Nations drumming and great entertainment all around.”
The Legion hopes to continue this event annually, citing strong support from community members and businesses. United Way, an international network of non-profit organizations, provided the local Legion branch with funding to support the events. This, along with sponsorships from local businesses, allowed the entire event to be completely free of charge to attendees.
“A big thank you to all the volunteers, our entertainers, and to United Way for partnering this event. Also, to all those businesses who donated towards our door prizes,” added Johnston.
For more information on the Legion, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RoyalCanadianLegion096.
Community Family Day by Marius Auer
