Vancouver-based improv actor, Scott Patey, centre, tested a rock, scissors, paper contest at the Rotary Club of Lloydminster’s Monday lunch meeting. In this heat, Charles Lamb, left, upended Ron Gillies. Patey will run a similar event at Rotary’s Lobsterfest this Saturday. Tickets are still available. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Lloydminster is shaping up to be the capital of Father’s Day celebrations.
The fourth annual Ribfest will be held in conjunction with the Just Kruzin Show and Shine at the Servus Sports Centre on Father’s Day weekend June 16-18.
The more the merrier concept could also involve the Lloydminster Flying Club, which hopes to bring back its fly-in breakfast that weekend.
The good news was shared by Aaron Buckingham at the Rotary Club of Lloydminster’s Monday lunch, speaking as a volunteer for Border City Connects transportation service that raises funds at Ribfest.
“Border City Connects is always trying to find synergies of how we can benefit others and so many mutually beneficial things,” said Buckingham.
“We tried last year and weren’t successful. This year we were successful.”
Buckingham says if the fly-in breakfast is a go, Border City Connects shuttle vans will bring passengers from the Lloydminster Municipal Airport to the car show and Ribfest.
Border City Connects provides transportation services to the residents of Lloydminster and area that have special needs or mobility issues and provides rides to out-of-town medical appointments.
“Making Lloydminster the place to be on Father’s Day in the midwest is the idea. We’ll try to get all that happening that weekend,” said Buckingham.
He also thanked Rotary for supporting Border City Connects while giving a personal shout-out to their Lobsterfest fundraiser at the Lloyd Ex this Saturday when the Dream Vacations draw will take place.
“I’m looking forward to having my name called this year on Saturday night while we’re at Lobersfest. I’ll be there with my Dream Vacation ticket,” said Buckingham.
He’s still buzzing over winning a trip to Niagara Ontario in last year’s draw after 18 or 19 years of buying tickets.
“It was really beneficial to win that trip last year. I didn’t take it. I took the cash because my daughter (Lindsey) was competing (with Cheer Force Jets Alpha Jets) in Vegas and I needed the cash to help us get there,” he said.
Last-minute tickets to Lobsterfest and the Dream Vacation draw are available by calling Rotary president, Anita Schmidt, at her Vivid Salon at 780-874-9067.
Vancouver-based improv actor Scott Patey will be at Lobsterfest leading a fun rock, scissors, paper contest for various purposes that he tested during the Rotary lunch.
In other Rotary news, Buckingham is thrilled his 17-year-old son Zander is the club’s candidate for the upcoming Adventures in Citizenship trip to Ottawa for youth.
Zander will be joined in Ottawa by Border City Rotary candidate, Zoenela Herath, a Grade 11 student at Holy Rosary High School.
Buckingham noted he joined the Border City Rotary around 2000 because his grandfather died from polio, a disease that Rotary International has helped to nearly eradicate globally over decades.
Buckingham says he also took his kids with him to Rotary and he enjoyed hosting foreign exchange students and supporting local students on Rotary adventure programs.
“I thought how cool would it be one day if my kids got to do that,” he mused.
His son Zander is a Grade 11 student at Holy Rosary High School and flies to Ottawa on May 13.
Students will meet with the Speaker of the House, Members of Parliament that are around and visit the Canadian War Museum and National Gallery of Canada. They will also attend a ceremony with Indigenous peers.
In addition, they will attend a swearing-in ceremony for new Canadian citizens.
Buckingham says Zander is “super comfortable” with the opportunity to go, but not so thrilled knowing he will have to report back to Rotary as a guest speaker.
“That was the least happy I’d seen him,” joked Buckingham.
“He’s not really a public speaker, but we’re going to force him!”
