CANADA—Over 50 members from the Milton and London, Ontario, congregations streamed into Regional Director Fred Dattolo’s home in Milton on August 10 for an annual picnic and auction.
Volunteers set up booths, an auction area and a main banner that read, “Welcome to the Philly Fair.”
Event organizer Marcello Sukhdeo announced the beginning of activities with the blow of a whistle. Some members participated in one of the three teams of track and field games, while others opted for less rigorous games at the carnival-style booths: “soda toss,” “hit the cup” and “toss the rings.” Winners received prizes of puzzles and children’s games. Those under 5 years old jumped in a bouncy castle.
Participants laughed as they participated in the sack race, water plate contest, three-legged race and cd-tossing contest.
“We have never been to the Dattolos’, and this event is really good,” Savannah Fuller, a teen from the London congregation, said. “The water plate contest was very interesting.”
After the games, the group ate a potluck meal then gathered to watch the pie contest. Judges Mr. Dattolo, Local Elder Timothy Oostendarp and deacon Robert Friesen took the first bites of the delicious pies before announcing the winners. Attendee Audrey Lovell took the ribbon for the best fruit pie, while member Lauren Fehr won the non-fruit category.
An ice cream booth provided cool relief from the warm day for young and old alike as they awaited the pie-judging results.
“Going once, going twice, sold!” member John Jones said as he and Herbert W. Armstrong College graduate Laskey Hart opened the auction. Two hours later, the last of the auction items sold. The auction generated $1,200 (us$896) for the local church fund.
Immediately afterward, the two top teams from the morning track and field activity competed in a tug-of-peace as the grand finale. Onlookers cheered for the teams as they grunted, groaned and pulled until hwac graduate Tyrel Schlote’s team emerged as the winner.
Milton member Terri Jones said the event was “a great day of family fun.”