The St. Paul Rec. Centre was jam packed on Aug. 26, as local business people, community members and politicians gathered for the annual rodeo week kick-off supper.
The evening started with an opening message from the St. Paul and District Chamber of Commerce President Alice Herperger who thanked everyone for their attendance.
The event attracted over 300 people to the supper, which also included entertainment and prizes.
Herperger thanked the chamber’s board of directors, along with its executive director Matisson Hannotte and summer student Brooke Mulkay for their work in organizing the supper. She also thanked the St. Paul Ag Society for their work in hosting the Lakeland Rodeo Association Finals, yet again.
Ag Society President Andre Chamberland took to the podium to describe the many events taking place during rodeo week.
“It’s an action packed week for everyone,” said Chamberland, adding, “This rodeo is second to none, don’t ever forget that.”
Westlock-St. Paul MP Brian Storseth acknowledged the “great turnout” at the supper, and spoke briefly on the importance of hosing the LRA Finals in St. Paul.
“This has become more than a community event. This has become a family event.” He too thanked the Chamber of Commerce for its part in hosting the kick-off supper and wished rodeo contestants good luck for the coming weekend.
Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills Wildrose MLA Shayne Saskiw was also on hand and spoke to those in attendance. He welcomed visitors to the town and thanked volunteers for their work in hosting the rodeo.
He noted that the rodeo finals offer an “economic spin-off” to the whole area.
Town of St. Paul Mayor Glenn Andersen said the rodeo supper is “always a great start to the week,” and offered an early congratulations to all the rodeo competitors.
“This is the biggest week of the year in this town,” said County of St. Paul Reeve Steve Upham. He also referred to the rodeo competitors saying, “they put it all on the line, each time they’re out there.”
Following a supper and entertainment by magicians Trixten and Carissa with Ballyhoo Entertainment, the winners of a number of lucrative prizes were announced. Attendees were offered the chance to play a game called Pick the Price.
Prizes included a Smirnoff Texas Mickey, which was won by Bill Lawrence; a Crown Royal Texas Mickey won by Mike Kaprowski; a woman’s bracelet won by Penny Fox; an Acer Iconia Tablet won by Stacey Cure; a RCA TV won by Ed Poitras; and the grand prize of a trip to Las Vegas during the national rodeo finals was won by David Zarowny, who was only a dollar off guessing the actual price of the trip, valued at $1,973.
