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ShareVolunteers preparing for rodeo
By Lana Michelin - Red Deer Advocate
Published: May 05, 2008 7:19 AM
Fifty soot-covered volunteers hauled away burned debris from the Rocky Mountain House rodeo grounds in a race to get the site rebuilt for 10,000 rodeo fans in early June.
“It was filthy, dirty work, but we’re very happy it’s done,” said Greg Ritz, a director with the Rocky Agricultural Stampede Association, who was buoyed by Saturday’s turn-out. Many of the volunteers in hard-hats who filled four metal garbage bins with debris from an April 27 vandalism at the site didn’t belong to the association, but still wanted to help out.
“We had incredible community support,” said Ritz. “We were very pleased.”
The volunteers were given a free lunch donated by local businesses and served up by the Rocky Wranglers, who carry flags for the rodeo.
Ritz said the next step will be getting heavy equipment onto the site on Wednesday or Thursday to remove the heat-warped second level of seating.
“They’re going to have to cut the top of the steel frame and then lift it off with a crane,” said Ritz, who noted this work was supposed to happen Sunday, but was delayed until the contractor could finish another project.
When that stage is done, builders can get to work.
The plan is to rebuild the upper seating area of the facility (the lower seating was declared by engineers to be structurally sound), as well as the announcer’s booth before the rodeo that runs June 4th to 8th.
By rodeo time, the building “may not be quite as pretty” as before, said Ritz, but seating will be completed for an event that attracts about 2,000 spectators a night.
While the fire was ruled an arson, police don’t yet have a suspect.
Ritz said it will be hard to know how to provide more security at the site in North Saskatchewan River Park in future. “I think there will have to be more activity in the area. With more activity, you have less vandalism.”
The association hopes to eventually build an agriplex near the rodeo grounds.
Contact Lana Michelin at lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
