You might not be aware of the fact that the Calgary Stampede itself is a non-profit organization. And, a lot of what you see on Park happens because of the effort of a huge volunteer base and a dedicated staff that work hard all year long. But, did you know that many of the talented performers that you see during the Stampede are part of programs offered by the Calgary Stampede Foundation, which is a charitable organization?
The Foundation has a commitment to develop the potential of young people in the community and when you see these young people perform, I think you’ll agree that they are doing a pretty great job of it!
So, you might be asking yourself, which groups does the Foundation support? Well, here’s a brief blurb on each group and what they do.
The Stampede 4-H on Parade Program is an integral part of the education and the development of young people in agriculture. It’s a show that invites youth aged 10-19 to show their steers, heifers, sheep and horses, and to have them evaluated by industry experts. 4-H Rodeo brings together 120 competitors from the Calgary region. Last year there were 450 entries in 9 rodeo events. As an annual program, it is becoming another Calgary Stampede tradition.
Each year the Youth Speech & Debate committee sponsors both the Stampede Invitational Debate for junior and senior high school students and the annual 4-H debate.
The World Champion Calgary Stampede Showband offers musical training to young Calgarians. Currently the Band is 130 members strong and travels around the world entertaining thousands each year.
The Young Canadians School of the Performing Arts is our largest community youth program. The troupe of 173 receive training in the disciplines of voice, dance and gymnastics. We provide scholarships and academic tutoring for those who require them. If you’ve ever seen the Grandstand show it’s obvious how hard these young people work.
The Foundation also supports two other events:
Each spring during Roughstock, the Aggie Days Program provides a “Day on the Farm” to school children aged 6-12. The program presents tours, exhibits and hands-on demonstrations, and is designed to increase the children’s appreciation for and understanding of agriculture in Alberta.
The Stampede Youth Talent Showdown is dedicated to the discovery, development and encouragement of young amateur entertainers across southern Alberta. These young people are awarded the opportunity to perform at the Stampede, to win cash prizes, and often, to embark upon a career in the entertainment business. The winner of this event competes each year at the youth talent contest sponsored by the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions where they are eligible to receive further scholarships.
So there you have it, another peek into the inner workings of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth and some of the programs and activities that fall under the Calgary Stampede Foundation.
For updates and info on everything Stampede, make sure you follow us on Twitter at @calgarystampede, on Facebook through our official Facebook fan page, visit our website, and stay tuned to the official Stampede Blog to learn more about some of the things happening Here. All Year.
Tags: Aggie Days, Foundation, Showband, Young Canadians, Youth Speech & Debate
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 29th, 2010 at 9:19 am and is filed under Here. All Year, NGC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
No comments:
Post a Comment