A free event from a new Okotoks non-profit over the weekend was a big success.

The Simpora Foundation's Family Fun Carnival & Rubber Duck Derby was held on Saturday, August 19 at Ethel Tucker Park.

It served as an introduction to the community and as a fundraiser for the organization.

The Simpora Foundation aims to support local athletes and teams with donations, asking that they return the favour by doing some good in the community.

Director Roanne Bodnarchuk says she was a little nervous to begin with, but that quickly subsided.

"I think it was a very successful day. We had people showing up for the carnival at around 11 o'clock and it stayed strong until around 3:30... As with the first of any event it was a little nerve-wracking. You don't know if people are going to come because it's not as if there's an RSVP system in place, but before the carnival even opened there were people there for the food trucks and to play the games, so that was awesome."

The event featured a rubber duck race from the Sheep River Bridge to the Laurie Boyd Bridge, carnival games, a dunk tank, and several food trucks.

Bodnarchuk says they had support from several local figures who lent a hand in one way or another.

"We had Mayor Thorn in the dunk tank to start off and that was great. It was quite a chilly day so she was perhaps a little colder than she would have liked but she was a trooper... The Okotoks Oilers and Okotoks Dawgs were volunteering at all of the games with the kids. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun."

She says everything and everyone came together to make the event a memorable one.

"I'd like to thank all of our sponsors and the community for coming out and supporting the event. Without them we wouldn't have been able to have such a successful day."

More information on the Simpora Foundation can be found on their website.

 

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