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Red Deer Sports and Outdoor Show drew about 5,000 attendees

Red Deer Fish and Game Association hosted the three-day event at Westerner Park
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Boats, ATVs, fishing equipment and hunting accessories were just some of the items available at the 55th Red Deer Sports and Outdoor Show this past weekend. (Photo by Sean McIntosh/Advocate staff)

The return of the Red Deer Sports and Outdoor Show was a success for the Red Deer Fish and Game Association, says a co-manager of this past weekend’s event.

The three-day show began Friday and wrapped up Sunday, with about 5,000 attendees checking out what the 70 or so vendors had to offer at Westerner Park’s Exhibition Hall. The show, which raises money for the association, hasn’t been held since February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After a couple of years on hiatus, it’s so important for us to raise some funds for the club,” said show co-manager Dave Drok.

“There was some risk with that too. Some of our past vendors may not have been in business or decided to do other things. We had to work hard to book up the show. The fact we could fill it up is great. We’ve heard a lot of great feedback from the exhibitors and we’ve had a lot of great feedback from the folks walking through too.”

This was the 55th edition of the Sports and Outdoor Show. Most of the event’s vendors were based in central Alberta, Drok noted.

“We really try to support and promote local businesses. Our first visits are always made to the local vendors,” he said.

“In the event a local vendor can’t make it or they maybe don’t have the inventory or staff available, we will look a little outside of central Alberta.”

The Red Deer Fish and Game Association has impacted the lives of many central Albertans, Drok added.

“I think a lot of them know Red Deer Fish and Game is a nonprofit. A lot of people have had Red Deer Fish and Game impact their family in a positive way in things they can do outdoors,” said Drok.

“We’ve got indoor and outdoor firing ranges. We’ve also got 320 acres of habitat land. That land has two fishing ponds, it’s got hiking trails, you can camp in it. A lot of kids have caught their first fish out there – a lot of adults have caught their first fish out there too.”

The association also provides scholarships and bursaries at the high school and college levels.

“Another thing that’s really cool is we send a handful of kids to camp every summer who otherwise wouldn’t get a chance to go,” he said.

For more information on the Red Deer Fish and Game Association, visit www.reddeerfishandgame.com.



sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com

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Sean McIntosh

About the Author: Sean McIntosh

Sean joined the Red Deer Advocate team in the summer of 2017. Originally from Ontario, he worked in a small town of 2,000 in Saskatchewan for seven months before coming to Central Alberta.
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