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What community spirit looks like
A city of winners
Cooler than average temperatures actually kept the crowds more comfortable over the recent Sam Steele Days festival in June resulting in a phenomenal response to 68 unique events over four days.
Sports tournaments welcomed record visitors while the free central fairgrounds and multiple live music venues day and night kept the festive energy vibrant, coaxing folks to stay and play longer.
The long list of opportunities to win prizes during Sam Steele Days definitely displayed the level of enthusiasm local supporters have for this popular family event.
“This is what community spirit looks like,” stated Sam Steele Society President Christy Wheeldon.
Numerous fundraising draws like the Sam Steele Days Button and the Fitness Inc. Strongman lottery as well as team sports and friendly competitions provided plenty of opportunities to earn the title of ‘winner.’
The Sam Steele Days Grand Parade sponsored by St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino recognized the following with cash prizes and ribbons:
1st Overall – Hillbilly Hardware
1st Community Float – Penticton Peach Festival Society
2nd Community Float – City of Trail/Trail Ambassadors
1st Clubs & Organizations Float – Kootenay Dance Academy
2nd Clubs & Organizations Float – CSCL/Blade Runner Shredding
1st Commercial/Industrial Float – Royal LePage EK Realty
2nd Commercial/Industrial Float – Favorit Cycles
1st Antique Car – Rocky Marsh
Best Horse and Wagon – Carlaw Clydes & Horse Hitch
2nd Horse and Wagon – Fort Steele Heritage Town Horses
Best Mounted Entry – RCMP Horse and Rider
The Sam Steele Days Button Winners are: Danielle Cardozo – a round trip airfare ticket courtesy of Pacific Coastal Airlines; Judy Turner – a round trip airfare ticket courtesy of Pacific Coastal Airlines; Steven Lechmann – two night stay at St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino; Mireille Therrien – Gift Certificate and Prize Package from High Country Sports.
Winners of the Balls of Steele Bocce Tournament sponsored by BA Blacktop are:
1st Place Team – Just One More
2nd Place Team – JAKS
Best Costumes – Panda, Panda, Panda
Winners of the Sam Steele Ball Tournament sponsored by Sun Life Financial are:
NO FUN
1st Riot $2000
2nd Mindians $1000
3rd D-Bags $500
SOME FUN (A)
1st Saints
2nd Crush
SOME FUN (A) CONSOLATION
1st South Paws
2nd NADS
SOME FUN (B)
1st Skyhawks
2nd My Couch Pulls Out But I Don’t
SOME FUN (C)
1st All about the ‘D’
2nd Get Franked
SOME FUN (D)
1st Ravens
2nd Geoff’s Contracting
LOTSA FUN (A)
1st Kokanee Inn Beers
2nd WNSC
LOTSA FUN (B)
1st Swingers
2nd Felko Pool & Spa
LOTSA FUN (C)
1st Flyouts
2nd The Mahoneys
Many, many other winners were crowned through the KEYSA’s Sam Steele Soccer Tournament, EKVB Beach Volley Ball Tournament, Fitness Inc. Strongman Competition, The Legendary Byng’s Arm Wrestling Classic, Cranbrook Disc Golf Tournament, the Paw Shop’s Weiner Dog Races, EKCU’s Chalk Art Competition, Dewey’s Pub & Grill Server Races, the Legion Chalk Art Challenge along with various other draws to benefit charities.
Then there are the eight Sam Steele Sweetheart Ambassador candidates who are all winners of an incredible mentoring program, despite that only two are chosen to go on to represent Cranbrook for a year. Congratulations to 2016 Sam Steele Sweetheart, Jelena Jensen and 2016 Sam Steele Princess Brianna McWhirter.
Our local performing artists and pubs/restaurants were winners with the successful launch of the Sam Steele Express free shuttle service that enabled festival celebrators to safely sample a variety of entertainment venues on Saturday night. This in turn made the entire city winners with reports of reduced incidents from the Cranbrook RCMP detachment.
The Sam Steele Society’s volunteer board of directors are exceptionally pleased with this year’s event and thanks everyone who volunteered their time, product, services or funds to pull it all together. Cranbrook truly is a city of winners!
Sam Steele Society
Lead image: 2016 Strongman Winners with newly crowned Sweetheart Ambassadors Jelena Jensen and Brianna McWhirter. Photo credit Fitness Inc.
