The drizzly, cool weather couldn’t keep Ashmont’s kids and families cooped up inside this weekend, as they hit the streets for the community’s annual Heritage Days, with a pancake breakfast, a parade, a ball tournament, and outdoor games and activities all part of the weekend activities.
“I think the day itself was successful despite the fact that we had to work around the rain,” said Linnette Newby, a volunteer and member of the Ashmont Ag Society, which organizes the weekend. She noted the parade had fewer spectators than usual, but that was to be expected with the rain. Even still, kids braved the drizzle to take part in a running race, a greased pig contest and other activities.
This year also featured one of its biggest years ever for ball entries, said Newby, with 11 teams taking part in games.
One of the biggest fundraisers of the weekend was a locker bidding war, which six companies sponsored items to fill for bidding, which Newby described as “awesome,” since they were painted, decorated with decals and filled with valuable items.
“It was above and beyond anything that I expected,” she said, adding that by the weekend’s end, she estimated more than $2,000 was raised for the Ag Society and the work it does on behalf of the community.
“It’s a big effort and you have to be able to count on your volunteers,” she said. “They really went and above and that’s what makes the event successful.”
Garry Himschoot, an ag society member, noted that his three grandchildren was visiting the community and made it to the parade for the first time, which made the event just that much sweeter to take part in.
“It’s trying to keep the community together,” he said of the weekend.
For one family leaving the parade site, the weather may have been a bit cool, but that was no deterrent to coming out and taking in the day’s activities.
“We live around here, so we come here every year,” says Ashmont-area resident Misty McKenzie. “The kids love it.”
That seemed to be borne out by her children’s response to the parade, as one jumps up and down, holding his big bag of candy, and shouting with glee, “I’m spoiled, I’m spoiled!”
