More than 50 Thousand Visited PGX
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 @ 3:10 PM
John Baragar, Board member and Fair Ambassador presents prizes to the oldest visitor to the PGX, Ivy Gandolfo (born Oct. 23 1911) and the youngest, Alice Vanwormer (born Aug.2 2012) photo courtesy Prince George Exhibition
Prince George, B.C.- The PG Exhibition reached its target of 50 thousand people through the gates, but the number crunching on the financials for the fair has yet to be completed.
"We were hoping to welcome more than 50,000 people through the gates and we just made it" says Terri McConnachie, General Manager. " This summer we welcomed 50,187 people through the gates, we hosted competitors and fairgoers from throughout BC and Alberta and from the U.S. states of Oregon and Oklahoma.
There is still work to be done as the number crunching, grant and financial reporting has to be prepared all the while planning for the new BC Northern Exhibition which will mark a new era for the fair when it is held next year in Prince George.
While the PGX achieved its visitor goal, the celebration of that milestone would not be possible if it were not for the volunteers says McConnachie "It is astonishing what an invested group of volunteer board members, dozens of volunteer chairpeople supported by thousands of volunteers and a small dedicated core group of staff – all of them with the give’er till you almost drop mentality – can achieve".
President of the Prince George Agricultural Society, Nancy Loreth agrees "This event would just not be possible without the time, enthusiasim and dedication of our volunteers. From helping fairgoers find parking spaces to keeping Exhibition Park clean and tidy, we cannot rave enough about our volunteers. I don’t think that most people realize that we are 95% volunteer driven and a 100% non profit organization in every sense of the word."
Loreth says everyone involved in the event brings something special to the development of the fair “what brings us together is our collective goal to partner our rural and urban communities to impart an important agricultural message and to promote community spirit and pride in our diverse heritage. I think that we achieved that, to the absolute best of our abilities. We brought together the generations from just days old to older than the Fair itself. Not many annual events, a century old, can boast that! "
Loreth also offers thanks to the contributions made by funders, sponsors and supporters " I hope we did them all proud".
Still to come is the unveiling of the Legacy Mural in September and the release of the organization’s second published book documenting the colourful history of the annual Fair from where it began in Fort George in 1912 to where it stands today, later this year.
The dates for the new BC Northern Exhibition have yet to be announced.
Comments
Great news! Bravo to all the volunteers and partipants! This is one event that practically all of Prince George can be proud of. Well Done! That fireworks display was fantastic! Thank You!
Loved the historical display in the old horticultural building. Seems to be hidden from the masses, but was the best part for me. Being born and raised in PG. It was very interesting, quiet and separate from the business of the crowds. Had to actually look for the entrance from the rear of the building. But once inside, was very interesting.
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