Why We Should Help Trenton Win This Year’s Kraft Celebration Tour

Last year at this time, the town of Wallaceburg, and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent was buzzing. Something was happening within our tiny community that brought people together. We had just won the vote to bring TSN and the Kraft Celebration Tour to Wallaceburg, and our sense of togetherness, and community was at an all-time high.

Not only did we win, but we set a record for the most votes by any community in the history of the contest. In the long run, it might seem like a minor event, but every corner of Chatham-Kent, and friends from across the globe sat for hours in front of their computers, clicking, and typing in captcha’s until our eyes were blurry, and our caffeine highs had subsided.

Everyone felt pride, and everyone was excited for the Celebration to come to town in August. When it finally did arrive, Large Marge’s, Sydenham cruises, lacrosse, Kate and Dutchy, and the whole Kraft gang, it was amazing.

Hours up the 401 however, the town of Trenton, who we defeated in the head-to-head vote, was reeling. They had a project underway, had been planning for months, had hundreds of volunteers, and a passion rivalling only our own. Despite this, when we won, they were gracious. In fact, their THS Track Quest coordinator Duncan Armstrong even made the trip to Wallaceburg for the Kraft Celebration Tour in August.

We also showed the colours of our community by raising $5000 for Trenton’s project and presenting it to them on stage the day of the event, at a time we were supposed to be celebrating our own accomplishment.

But that’s who we are in Wallaceburg. We are a giving community, that legitimately cares about our neighbours, whether they are ten minutes away in Dresden, or hours down the highway in Trenton.

That’s why on Friday July 20, we should all take 10 minutes out of our busy days, and relive our clicking and captcha’ing skills. Trenton has again qualified for the Kraft Celebration Tour vote, and this time face Lindsay, Ontario. We remember how it goes don’t we? Vote from noon until noon, with the winner announced later on TSN’s SportsCentre.

I think the people of Trenton deserve it. They are renovating their track facilities at Trenton High School, home of the Tigers, and this money would put their project over the top, allowing their youth to benefit sooner rather than later. In fact, if it were much much colder today, you might see me wearing my THS Tigers toque in support of this article that our friends from Trenton gave me after last year’s competition.

Our kids will soon be playing at a facility constructed in part from the $25,000 our community was awarded through the Kraft Celebration Tour; and I have nothing against the kind people of Lindsay, but I think we should make sure our friends in Trenton have their day to celebrate.

They deserve it. So on July 20, starting at 12 noon, take a break, and give it to Trenton by visiting www.kraftcelebrationtour.ca and voting for TRENTON!