Let's Show Them What We're Made Of Chatham-Kent

I’ve heard the hype, I’ve read posts from people from Trenton, and I know they’re ready. In fact, I just got an email telling me they’re ready. Here’s the hard facts, their track and field facility project has been going strong for months, and months longer than our lacrosse facility upgrade here in Wallaceburg/Chatham-Kent. Another fact, last year’s Ontario winner took home 550,000 votes.

In my eyes, we are no sure thing to win this, and it will take a concerted effort from all of Chatham-Kent. As a community in Wallaceburg, we’ve been through a lot. We’ve watch hundreds, if not thousands of jobs disappear in the last decade. We’ve watched many of our best and brightest get up and leave, not to return. I know we’ve heard this story a thousand times, but last year we watched Wallaceburg Minor Lacrosse be defrauded out of $70,000.

But…BUT, Wallaceburg is a stronger community than anyone gives it credit for, especially with the rest of Chatham-Kent behind them. That’s why when it comes to the Kraft Celebration Tour voting tomorrow morning, Wallaceburg will be ready, and I’m begging, along with thousands of other locals, for the support of all of Chatham-Kent. If you’re a sports fan, how much support would you give for your organization to get $25,000?

Remember, what support you give Wallaceburg now, the citizens of this community will be prepared to give back to you ten fold. Wallaceburg is a passionate community who has come together to rally for Shaun Suisham in the Super Bowl, we’ve rallied to bring jobs back to town, we’ve fought to keep our hospital, we voted until our fingers bled to make Chatham-Kent Canada’s Boardwalk, and we resurrected Wallaceburg Lacrosse from the brink with a full community effort.

That process with Wallaceburg Lacrosse  is about to come to an end when we come together one more time tomorrow to win the Kraft Celebration Tour. It’s just us and Trenton, from 12 noon Tuesday, until 12 noon Wednesday, with unlimited voting at www.kraftcelebrationtour.ca.

I’m proud to be from Wallaceburg. I love going to Lakers games Wednesday night and seeing a packed house that literally incites fear in other teams. I love going downtown to see the fantastic festival our community has continued to support in WAMBO, I love walking the street and saying hello to ten people I know and grew up with, but most of all, I love how much fight and pride our citizens have.

If you’re working tomorrow, give your break and lunch for our youth to stop and vote for a half an hour. If you’re at home, put on your favourite album and click away (and call your friends in Ottawa, Saskatoon, and Toledo telling them to vote). And remember Blenheim, Chatham, Dresden, Tilbury and Ridgetown, what’s good for one of us, is good for us all. In Wallaceburg we care about all of Chatham-Kent, and when your moment comes, we’ll be there to help. For now though, it’s Wallaceburg’s moment and the town needs you!

I’ll be voting and I hope we win for the sake of our kids, and our town.

Here’s the best thing though. If we lose…if those Trentonian’s pull it out and muster more votes, we’ll still be here and our community will still be strong. I’ve got faith in Chatham-Kent, and because I know the quality character of the people of Wallaceburg, I’ve got even more faith in Wallyburgers. Win or lose we’ll pull together time and again to overcome the odds.

Let’s show them what we’re made of, a small town, with a big heart, and a small town capable of a big vote.

Let the games begin…vote, vote again, vote often. One more time, vote at www.kraftcelebrationtour.ca, Go Wallaceburg!