CommUnity Day taking shape
From left, Maggie Celaya, Courtney Olson, Jamie Cruz, Pastor Antonio Rodriguez and Grant County Fire District No. 8 Chief Dave Patterson are early arrivals at the Mattawa CommUnity Day meeting last week.
A popular event at a recent Mattawa CommUnity Day was taking down Mattawa Police Chief John Turley in the dunk tank.
MATTAWA — From the attendance and the diligence at a meeting of the Mattawa Area Chamber of Commerce last week at the CBHA building, one could take away that this year’s Mattawa CommUnity Day will be improved over last year.
First of all, about a dozen people showed. Secondly, they spoke enthusiastically about this year’s events and others being brain-stormed for the future. It was the kind of atmosphere in which townsfolk should be happy to collaborate.
Perhaps the most hopeful aspect of the meeting was the ongoing effort to beef up this year’s gathering. The group decided to contact Royal City about its high school band since the Wahluke High School band has decided not to participate. Group members are looking for a drum and bugle corps or a military band.
The MCD will be held on Saturday, July 30. It will kick off at 7:30 a.m. and end some time around 3 p.m. There will be a parade from Wahluke High School to Hund Memorial Park, and most of the celebration will be held there.
There is a parade application in this week’s Sun Tribune for those who might want to be in the parade. Especially invited are the community’s children. There will be prizes for winners in the Kiddie Parade.
After a few years of no MCD, resident Maggie Celaya, now a city council member, revived it about five years ago. She put the festival together pretty much on her own, and she tired. This year she turned it over to the MACC, of which she is a member. Volunteers are starting to come out of the woodwork.
The meeting lasted more than an hour. The participants went over details such as who will bring the pancake batter dispenser for the breakfast to who will bring roaster ovens to keep breakfast warm.
Grant County Fire District No. 8 Chief Dave Patterson offered to bring 12 six-foot tables and 36 chairs to breakfast. The park has only a few picnic tables.
Pastor Antonio Rodriguez of the Church of the Living God offered a youth music group and an adult music group. And he’s got about 30 candidates for the Kiddie Parade.
“Any child can bring their wagon or their bike,” said Ginny Krekling, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church.
Rodriguez told the gathering that the church’s sound equipment will be in the park and that it could be used for announcements and a DJ setup.
Jamie Cruz announced that Pepsi has donated two “welcome” banners for the festival. They will fly as soon as they arrive, she said.
Courtney Olson announced that the City of Mattawa has approved the MACC’s insurance plan for the festival and the blocking of streets for the parade. And she said the IRS has approved the group’s 501(c)6 status.
“Which means we can take big donations from Legends Casino and big companies,” she said.
A final schedule will be ready soon. What is known for sure is that the MCD will start with a 7:30 a.m. one-mile fun run, followed by an 8 a.m. 5K run, free breakfast in the park and the parades at 10 a.m.
Oh, and the belly-busting burrito eating contest some time later.