Standard Sports Days cancelled

By Lorenzo Gavilan Vargas Times Reporter

Standard Sports Days, usually scheduled for the last weekend in June, did not get past the planning stages this year.

Standard Lions Club member Dale Beingessner said the club was unsure of COVID protocols when the decision was made. 

“The problem is that we had to start planning way before June 3rd, and we couldn’t do that because they (Alberta government) hadn’t decided to lift restrictions until recently,” he said. “So we needed time to plan and we didn’t know what was going to happen. We had to make a call in about mid-May and we just decided, well, it looks like we’re still locked out, so we’re not going to do it.”

According to Beingessner, the event was supposed to be more of a community gathering than a fundraiser. 

“We didn’t make a whole lot of money on it, but we got the town together and gave everybody something to do for the weekend,” he said.

The last big fundraiser for the Standard Lions Club was in December. An online auction was held in place of an in-person event, and it turned out to be a success.

“That’s generated some money that we can continue to use to make donations in and around Standard,” said Beingessner. “People still banded together even in the pandemic, and they still realize that there was a need for funds to keep our communities alive. It was wonderful.”

Beingessner said there are plans in the future to get the community together including a supper in September, but for now Standard and the Lions Club will have to go another year without Sports Days.