After five years of thrilling vintage automobile enthusiasts in Innisfail and throughout Western Canada, the annual late summer Weekend of Wheels show has suddenly finished its course.
Debra Stoski, president of the Innisfail Downtown Association and the driving force behind the event, said inadequate volunteer help, along with personal health issues, is forcing the cancellation of Weekend of Wheels, an event that attracted hundreds of devoted vintage car lovers each year from across the province and beyond.
“I just can't physically do all the stuff that I do. Nobody is stepping up,” said Stoski. “The younger generation isn't stepping up to help out and that is what you need. It is very physically demanding and once all of the guys get a little bit older, it's harder.
“Last year in the Province I did a plea to everybody about volunteering, and asked, and even posted it on Facebook, to see if I could get responses back,” she added. “Basically the younger generation told me, ‘If you pay us a wage we might show up.' That's not a volunteer, OK?”
And while the downtown association will continue with the fall Scarecrow Festival, which was brought back last year after a two-hear hiatus, Stoski is adamant she won't consider bringing back Weekend of Wheels, despite the strong support the event consistently received from the town and the downtown business community.
“No. I'm not looking at picking it up again. I've done my five years. If they want it someone else has to jump on board,” said Stoski, adding the association could come up with an entirely different event for the future. “We might pick up something else that won't be so labour intensive in the future, but right now we know we can do the Scarecrow Festival.”
Stoski said during the event's five-year run she would start organizing the event five months before the September scheduled date with a “ton of behind-the-scenes” work, like talking to sponsors, organizing radio advertising, and getting approvals from the town. She also headed out on Thursdays to Red Deer Cruise Night to sell the event to drivers. At home, Stoski, co-owner of Innisfail Tire & Lube -- a major sponsor of the event -- would put together gift bags and prizes.
When she first started, she hired Red Deer people to help the event get off the ground. They brought enthusiastic volunteers. The following year she took over completely, adding there were at least seven volunteers, along with several helpers, who she could count on to help put the event together.
However, local volunteer help dwindled by 2014 and the second day of the event, which featured the 100-foot shootout – had to be cancelled.
“And that is because of the physical demand. We can only do so much. You lose the volunteers and you don't get the help,” said Stoski. “In the last year we did the shootout, my husband and I and two of my volunteers were literally taking down the bleachers ourselves, and I said this was unacceptable.”
Mayor Brian Spiller said while he was disappointed the town is losing Weekend of Wheels, he understood the issue Stoski raised about volunteerism in the community. He is concerned its cancellation could be an ominous sign that the community's proud record of volunteerism may be on the wane.
“We need people involved in the town, and unfortunately losing one event like this might snowball into more events,” said Spiller. “It does concern me. Innisfail traditionally has had a large group of volunteers, as noticed in our recent volunteer appreciation dinner, but at the same time when I looked around the room most of the volunteers that were represented were 50-plus in age.
“We do need the next generation to step forward and take the reins.”
He added it was now more important than ever for younger volunteers to step up, now that the town has moved forward with a plan to construct a new skateboard park, a project that will depend on the hard work and commitment of volunteers.
“We need the young to come out and help us, not necessarily build it, but help us design it and tell us what the kids need,” said Spiller. “I've never skateboarded. You don't want me to choose a design.”
Debra Stoski
"I just can't physically do all the stuff that I do. Nobody is stepping up. The younger generation isn't stepping up to help out and that is what you need."
