Coaldale sponsoring Town team for Fun Run

Posted on February 8, 2024 by Sunny South News

By Nikki Jamieson
Sunny South News

The town of Coaldale will be taking part in this year’s Fun Run.

During their regular Jan. 29 meeting, Coaldale town council reviewed a town staff request for the Coaldale Fun Run.

The 13th annual 5K Coaldale Fun Run, hosted by Coaldale Christian School, will be taking place on April 20. The request before council is to provide support by funding the registration fees for members of town staff and members of council wishing to participate in it.

Previous councils have approved covering the fee for council and staff participation and t-shirts. Additionally, previous councils have also supported the event itself, with the town being a platinum sponsor in 2017.

The entry fee is $22 per adult participant, with an additional $15-17 for a T-shirt.

“The Fun Run is made possible through that of both participation and generous sponsorship,” said Clayton Varjassy, Community Services Coordinator for the Town. “Volunteer community groups such as this have a very positive impact on the physical and mental health of our community. The Town’s ongoing commitment is minimal, but very helpful when considering the events value.”

Proceeds from the Fun Run will be going toward supporting the 2024 Southern Alberta Summer Games, hosted by Coaldale, and will be running in its full form following a four-year hiatus since 2019.

Varjassy said the financial impact is projected up to $640, with the finds coming from council’s Other Professional Services budget. In the past, as many as 20 people participated on behalf of the Town. In 2023, seven staff and six council members participated, with nine others, unpaid for by the Town, joining the Town team. For those who were covered, the Town paid $382, with Mayor Jack Van Rijn saying they received t-shirts as well. If the same amount of people participated this year, with the increased costs, it would cost the Town $440.

Options presented before council include entering a Town team and paying the registration fee, entering a team and paying both for the fee and t-shirt or not entering a team.

Coun. Jacen Abrey thought they should enter a team and pay the fee, but not pay for t-shirts this year and instead wear their Summer Fest shirts or ones advertising the summer games as “we’re only a few months out on that one as well”, noting a participant can always pay for a t-shirt themselves if they wanted one. Coun. Lisa Reis liked the idea of wearing Summer Fest shirts provided they could be done one time. Van Rijn thought it was a great idea, but noted that the Fun Run was a fundraiser.

“Proceeds from the sale of those t-shirts would go towards our summer games,” said Van Rijn. “That was the whole point of them having a fundraiser.”

Abrey was not willing to amend his motion, as “there’s not that much profit in a $15 t-shirt that would be going back to the community”.

Council passed a motion to enter a Town of Coaldale team, pay the registration fee of $22 per participant and direct Community Services to collect council and staff registrations, for an estimated cost of up to $400, in a split 5-1 vote. Van Rijn was the sole vote against, and Coun. Bill Chapman was absent from the meeting.