While the Williams Lake Stampede is cancelled for 2020 due to COVID-19 regulations, a Stampede-style drive thru breakfast is being planned for Saturday, July 4.
“To keep in the spirit of the Stampede we thought we’d try and do something,” Williams Lake Stampede Association director Tim Rolph told city council during its regular meeting, Tuesday, June 2.
“We’ve come forward as the Rotary and Stampede Association to ask for support from city council.”
The breakfast, cooked by Rotarians, will be held at the Stampede Grounds. It will be drive-thru only and meet the requirements of the public health authority.
“We will have music going on at the same time,” Rolph told council. “Our house Stampede band, One in the Chamber, has agreed to play music and we will try to have a few other things going on, but keeping in mind numbers of people we can gather in one place.”
Meals will be by donation only, and organizers are hoping to garner some support financially from the community to help cover costs, but Rolph said they realize it has been a difficult year for the community.
Read more: Stampede Association opening campground for frontline workers April 6
Coun. Marnie Brenner said she loves the Stampede and was very disappointed when it had to be cancelled.
“The atmosphere that happens around Stampede just changes the community. People come together and happiness is spread all over so I love this idea,” Brenner said.
She asked if people who don’t drive or have vehicles will be able to participate.
“At this point we are saying drive-thru only and our concern is the optics of getting people gathering,” Rolph responded.
Brenner said maybe other groups in the community will take on the responsibility of driving people to the breakfast that cannot drive themselves there.
Coun. Scott Nelson said the idea is unique and helps remember what the spirit of what the community is all about and that is giving.
“It will be a bit of a celebration, get rid of cabin fever and still stay within the social distancing rules that we know today and encourage the community,” Nelson said.
Rolph said they will probably request help from mayor and council to serve breakfast.
“It’s very fluid and things are changing and if something happened that we could gather in a larger crowd, we’d certainly be looking at doing something different,” he added.
July 4 is a week after the Stampede would have taken place, but Rolph said because of the timing they wanted more time to plan.
City council supported and endorsed the event unanimously.
Read more: COVID19: 94th Williams Lake Stampede officially cancelled for 2020 due to pandemic
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