Every year the Lampman Recreation Board and the Lampman and District Lions come together to host a sports weekend.
This year the weekend began on Friday, June 6, and continued through Saturday, June 7, to finish on Sunday, June 8.
Haley Ingham, Recreation Director, explained that it was very successful with the only hiccough coming with the street dance which was rained out. But this didn't dampen the overall weekend.
"Our slow pitch was full with 20, beach volleyball was full with 12 teams, there were six men's hard ball teams entered, and three ladies fast ball teams," Ingham explained.
The money raised through this aspect of the weekend will be going towards the drainage system throughout the park as if it rains the diamonds often take 15 to 20 hours to pump the water from the area.
In addition to a new drainage system the Rec Board is consistently performing upgrades on the rink and will be working to redo each ball diamond as well.
The Lions of Lampman help throughout the weekend running meals, the beer gardens, and the annual street dance. This is their largest fundraising event, though they also host a community lottery, which sees ticket holders able to win $75 every week in a year with three $500 prizes and one grand prize of $1,500. Another annual fundraising event includes the Las Vegas draw.
"The Lions might put them on, but we can't do it without the support of the community," Dennis Christensen, president of the Lampman Lions, explained.
Secretary of the Lampman Lions, Richard Kochie, added that this includes the many volunteers who come together in the community.
"Just the street dance sees 25 to 30 volunteers alone helping set up, take tickets, run the beer gardens, and clean up after," Kochie said.
With the big sports weekend underway, the Lampman Lions decided to make presentations to various groups and individuals on Sunday, June 8. Donations were given to the library ($500), Lampman Fire and Rescue ($2,000), Communities in Bloom ($500), Health Care Auxiliary ($1,000), the Rec Board ($2,000), to Carly Greening for Free the Children project ($300), Elusha Baird for a youth trip to Ottawa ($200), medical expenses for a local family ($3,000), Canadian Diabetes Association ($300), to Lampman Campground Renovations ($5,000), and finally to STARS ($5,000)
Ingham explained that one of the projects, the campground, has been a two phase project that the Rec Board has been working on. Last fall they saw the 15 amp camping sites upgraded to 30 amps and full year round sewer installed as well.
Last summer an old diamond no longer in use was transformed into 27 new sites and a new washroom facility was installed with sinks, showers, and room for laundry facilities in the future.
"The Lions always help us out," Ingham said. "They've donated picnic tables in the past and have just always been there to help."
