Anyone who has ever organized a party has at least had a moment where they wonder, “What if I throw this party and nobody comes.”
Hopefully that thought doesn’t become a recurring nightmare for Sarah Dynneson, community programmer with the Town of Osoyoos, who often works hard to organize events for the public.
Last Wednesday, the town held its Participate Osoyoos event at the Sonora Community Centre. The town provides a free table in the gym to community groups where they can engage with the public informally about what their organization does.
With online registrations these days, the event is no longer the primary place where people register. But with enough organizations and visitors, it could still be a great opportunity to introduce people to the many activities this community offers.
Alas, there were fewer than a half-dozen groups with tables and very few people trickled through the gym that night, leaving the few groups there wondering why they bothered.
Two nights later, the annual Terry Fox Run only drew seven participants – the lowest we can remember. Clearly the change last year to holding it on Fridays hasn’t worked.
It would be a shame to completely scrap both worthy events, but that’s the inevitable outcome if their attendance keeps falling.
They may need some format tweaking and different promotion, but let’s not give up.
Perhaps someone in Osoyoos with fresh ideas can step forward and volunteer to help get them back on track.
