Published in The BANAR November 2013
by Mike Murphy, FUNFAIR Chair
The FUNFAIR was an absolute smash this year. The hard work of your dedicated FUNFAIR team paid off! I had the pleasure of working with fantastic volunteers—some new and others with a long history of commitment to this great community event.
My personal goal was to reduce expenses and increase income, while maintaining the quality of the FUNFAIR. I am proud to announce that, despite a dangerous storm which virtually shut down the fair on Saturday evening, we raised more than $7,000 for the community.
Our new Friday Night Movie was a huge success which we hope to repeat in future years. Saturday started with beautiful weather for one of the best parades that Blackburn has ever seen! It was such a pleasure to see so many happy faces and hear laughter from young and old. While Little Ray’s fascinated everyone with exotic reptiles, the midway was very busy delivering thrills for all.
The return of the dunk tank was amazing with many local school teachers participating. The stage was abuzz with an excellent variety of live music for everyone. Unfortunately, the excitement came to an abrupt end with a dangerous storm that hit Blackburn hard, shortly after 6 p.m. We did our best to keep things going, but when we saw our 40 x 40 foot tent lifting off the ground, we quickly got everyone off the stage.
International Blues sensation JWJones called me later to thank everyone for doing an excellent job and putting public safety first. While many were disappointed, after seeing some of the electrical equipment under water, there was no way any of it was going to be plugged in that night! The midway was forced to close as well, and we understand some people felt short-changed with their ride bracelets. Unfortunately, we have absolutely no control over the weather. I understand that Classic Amusements offered a refund for ride bracelets purchased in advance and not redeemed; however, no refunds could be issued for those already being worn, as there was no way of knowing whether they had been worn for five minutes or the whole day. After the weather cleared and everything was ensured safe, we debated what to do. As many people had returned to the park, we made the decision with the fireworks provider to go ahead with the fireworks display.
Communication during FUNFAIR has always been a challenge, but the FUNFAIR team got the word out by calling everyone they knew on their cell phones! To facilitate communication in future, we STRONGLY suggest residents sign up to the Blackburn Community Facebook page and we will run a Twitter blog next year.
About 200 people turned up for the Sunday morning FUNRUN, another successful inaugural event that we hope to repeat next year. The day bustled with activity as the midway reopened; there were children’s games in the arena, Taekwondo demonstrations, and a magical chemistry show. Thanks to the hard work of volunteers, the afternoon saw another Pet Pride event.
On a less positive note, I must mention our disappointment that some people don’t fully understand what the FUNFAIR means to the community. Kids will be kids, and it is not uncommon to lose a few rented chairs in the excitement.
Unfortunately, this year, some individuals decided to steal 28 chairs and nine tables from the Fair. Luckily, we were able to recover some and I want to personally thank Lafarge for stepping up to the plate and paying for the remaining lost rental items. I hope that whoever stole from the Fair realize one day that what they did is the equivalent of pulling a helmet off a child’s head during a hockey practice, denying a child from going to a weekend scout camp for the weekend or forcing a food bank recipient to go hungry. 100 per cent of the funds raised by the FUNFAIR are returned to the community to support such important programs as minor league sports, youth programs and the food banks. Stealing from the FUNFAIR is robbing the community.
No matter what happened I was honoured to work with some very special people organizing the FUNFAIR and with a community that never ceases to amaze me. We want to extend a huge thank-you to the local businesses that support our event financially and with donations to the Silent Auction.
I will be your Chairperson again next year and look forward to another highly successful event. I welcome suggestions, ideas and feedback, good or bad.
Once again, thank you for allowing me to be your Chairperson for the Blackburn FUNFAIR!