Canvas auction held for Heritage Days
Amy Gregson – Times Reporter
The World Professional Chuckwagon Association held their annual canvas auction April 6 in Calgary and advertisements for canvas for the Strathmore Heritage Days were sold.
Strathmore had the third highest total of bids out of the eight stops on the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour with a total of $194,500, up from $176,000 in 2009, an almost 10 per cent increase.
“It was a rebound from last year, which was probably one of our lower years in the last few because of the economy,” said Pascal Del Guercio, chair of the rodeo and chuckwagon committee.
“It was what we were hoping for and then some,” said Del Guercio.
The highest bid went for $9,500 from Kay Dee Ranching to Kelly Sutherland, and the average bid for a canvas came in at $5,145.83.
Del Guercio said Strathmore is usually in the top three for the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour because they are one of the top three shows on the circuit.
“That’s where sponsors want to participate because of the amount of people in the stands makes it that much more viable for them to advertise to those people,” said Del Guercio.
A number of local sponsors purchased a canvas to be seen at Heritage Days including the Strathmore Station, Sobey’s and Strathmore Motor Products, making this the highest number of community sponsors ever ,said Del Guercio.
“When we first started this, we didn’t have any [local sponsors] and we had to go outside of our community,” said Del Guercio. “Now, they benefit off their sponsorship and their involvement.”
He said they also see the value of the sponsorship in the community.
Del Guercio added the attendance numbers have grown. Close to 50,000 people attended Heritage Days, and now local businesses are getting their message out to a lot more people.
On a similar note, Del Guercio said they are planning something new with the WPCA.
“One of the things we are doing is looking to bring something bigger and better in the way of chuckwagon racing to Strathmore,” said Del Guercio.
He wouldn’t expand on what they are planning, just that it wouldn’t be in place for this year, but he hoped to announce it this year.
“It will be a similar program, but we’re hoping to bring something new and exciting for the fans to entice them to come and watch the show,” said Del Guercio.