When you live, work, volunteer in a place like Wycheproof – it’s inevitable that the community becomes a strong knit working unit.
Such strong knit working units, in the form of community clubs, are set to be on display in abundance this forthcoming March long weekend.
Where collaboration and resource sharing drive the future, viability of many small rural Clubs, sporting and other, it may be the point of difference of successful organisations in the future, too.
Over the past few years such collaboration has been on the increase, and it’s been monumental to witness the end results, especially given some of the younger generation are becoming more involved in the volunteering space.
Photos (including an impressive aerial shot from 2023) of the Wycheproof Lion Club’s annual Show and Shine event. Previously hosted at the football oval – and now relocated to the Mt. WDRC precinct, the ideal location with ample facilities and parking on offer. The event continues to grow year on year, with 2024 anticipated to be significant in entry numbers and overall interest.
Photos: The Buloke Time
The Mt. Wycheproof & District Racing Club (Mt. WDRC), a member of the Mt. Wycheproof Recreation Reserve, will proactively be supporting two feature Wycheproof community events, these being:
Tennis anyone?
The Wycheproof & District Lawn Tennis Club Inc. 71st Annual Labour Day Tennis Tournament (hosted over three consecutive days Saturday, Sunday, Monday). Mt. WDRC provides resource and equipment sharing, in the form of umbrellas, wine barrels, picnic tables and more being put to good usage and shared with a popular sporting club next-door neighbour to stage a quality tennis tournament and associated entertainment for young and old.
Showing off
The Wycheproof Lions Club – Annual Show and Shine (hosted on Sunday on site). Mt. WDRC provides usage of an impressive and well-maintained racecourse precinct for the annual event. In previous years commentary has been noted from many that the location, parking available and overall amenities, provide an ideal event location to Show and Shine (sedans, trucks, motorbikes & more!), alongside hosting the accompanying crowds in attendance in an inviting environment.
Tourism and economic boom
Both events are attended by large visitor numbers from across the State, including neighbouring towns and as far a-field as the remote suburbs of Melbourne. The atmosphere generated across the Calder Highway and Broadway streetscapes, including the local Caravan Park, is a sight to behold. The community offerings are showcased in a family friendly manner generating widespread marketing dollars.
Resource sharing
Resource sharing between community groups and not-for-profit organisations generate a range of positive benefits, including increased organisational efficiency, effectiveness, combined with a money-can’t-buy sense of pride too.
In return, during the Spring Racing Carnival in the Country at Mt. Wycheproof, the Mt. WDRC enjoys home-grown camaraderie and quality service provided by the Lions Club via hosting of a barbecue catering hub, coupled with facility kitchen support via the neighbouring Tennis Club (for external on-course caterers).
In 2024, the Mt. WDRC will donate Country Racing Victoria (CRV) prize packs at each event, kindly provided via CRV Media and Comms Manager Nikkita Ross via head office in Melbourne. The items will be used for awards, spinning wheel prizes, gate entry, spot prizes and other forms of varied event cross promotion. The initiative further aiming towards supporting community events and creating awareness of “Derby Day in the Country” scheduled later in 2024.
The immense community collaboration ensures all is in readiness for visitors, families and others travelling through town, to experience and explore Wycheproof’s prolific events and perhaps also the many associated hidden treasures – that is potentially scheduling in a trek to the summit of Mount Wycheproof, too!
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 1 March 2024.
