2009 In Review - EYC's Funfest Activities

Continuing from the end of 2009, I'll be posting some articles that were written over the past 12 months about the events and accomplishments of the EYC last year. I hope to post them in chronological order just to show all the awesome things youth have done down here at the centre.

The following was originally written back in July:

EYC Floats Straight To Funfest
by Marc Rocheleau

With an assist from mother nature, Essex Youth Centre (EYC) drove 1,000 beach balls to Funfest for a fundraiser.

After preparing for several weeks, members met at 8:30 a.m. at the centre on July 11 -- the morning of the parade. Despite severe weather, beach balls had been inflated and needed to be brought up to the EYC's float which was already constructed and waiting outside.

"The float was put together with the help of my brother-in-law Stephen St. Pierre, my father James Dale and myself," said Steve Dale, EYC events coordinator. "We pretty much built the frame with two by fours and using some donated soccer nets to hold 1,000 beach balls."

The purpose of the float was for EYC's 2nd annual Running Of The Balls fundraiser. People could buy tickets, each with a number that corresponded to a beach ball. Before the lawnmower races, they were dumped onto the Funfest grounds and kicked across a finish line by EYC and Essex council members. First prize earned $500 and the next five winners received $100 each.

Before the event itself, youth from the centre sold tickets down the parade route. Although they had been worried earlier, the severe weather cleared up about an hour before the parade and, despite preparing for the worst, everything went off without a hitch.

"I was concerned that it was going to turn out like last year and rain all the way through the parade but we lucked out," said Steve. "From last year's experience, we decided to watch the weather reports closely all week and finished all the major prep work the night before."

Storms weren't the only challenges for organizers however. In addition to inflating all the beach balls, they also had to keep checking for leaks and making sure everything was numbered correctly. Although it was difficult, their experience from last year paid off.

"This was the second time we have run the event," said Steve. "I think we were much more efficient knowing how the event worked last year and how to make this year that much more successful."

Running Of The Balls was sponsored by Insight Enterprises and all proceeds will be used for EYC operating costs. While the many weeks of planning came to head on a busy day, members feel the effort was worth it.

"It was a lot of work," said EYC-member, Jasmine Wood. "But anyone who worked it was working for a good summer. Now that it’s over we can finally relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor.”