“That’s a really good set of wheels,” said Raelynn McDonald, who tells us she’s almost eight-years old. Raelynn poses with her new bike that she was thrilled to win in The Drumheller Mail’s annual Canada Day Parade contest. Raelynn is staying with her grandparents Cathy and Rod Aikens of Morrin. Grandpa received a call at work from a neighbour telling him to look at the newspaper. Raelynn lost her bike earlier this spring when the rooftop carrier on the car broke. She was looking forward to getting home with her new bike to show it to her friends.

The boys bike has yet to be claimed, so be sure to check the top of page 3 in the July 2 edition of the The Drumheller Mail to see if you recognize the winner!

Patrice, left and Zeke Wolf of the Heartwood Inn hosted (l-r) Bindi, Terri and Robert, family of  famed Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin as they spent a busy weekend in the valley hunting dinosaurs and enjoying all it has to offer.

The valley had some high profile visitors last weekend when the family of  late Australian wildlife expert and zoo owner Steve Irwin came through Drumheller to get their fill of dinosaurs.
    Steve Irwin was a television celebrity with his show The Crocodile Hunter, and he and his family founded and built what is now known as the Australia Zoo. He was tragically killed in 2006, doing what he loved, working with wild animals.
    The family has continued to build the legacy he created. This week, his wife Terri, daughter Bindi and son Robert were through the valley.  The impetus for coming came from 10-year-old Robert.
    “I am absolutely obsessed with dinosaurs, I have been since I was two-years-old,” he tells The Mail. “I heard about Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum, and I just had to come.  It is so cool, the whole town is all about dinosaurs.”
    He explains that even as a 10 year old, he knows many palaeontologists who are aware and even come and work in the Badlands.  He worked on his mother lobbying to come.
    “I had my first experience with dinosaurs when I was about two-years-old in Paris. I spent the whole afternoon looking at fossils. From that day, I knew dinosaurs were one of my incredible passions.”
    Adventure runs through the veins of the family and aside from visiting the museum and a behind the scene look with Dr. Henderson, they spent a good deal of time trekking, including a six-hour jaunt through Horsethief Canyon in the blazing Drumheller sun.
    “We survived …just,” jokes matriarch Terri. “It was so much fun, we saw Richardson ground squirrels, some vultures and a hare, we just had the best time.”
    The cultural aspects of the area were not lost on the family either. They stayed at Patrice and Zeke Wolf's Heartwood Inn, and partook in Zeke's famous waffles. They also enjoyed a stop at Sublime Food and Wine, and a trip out to Rosebud to see its summer production of Chickens.
    “Because we travel so much we are blessed to go through New York frequently, and we said this (Chickens) was every bit as much fun, or more than anything we have ever seen on Broadway. It was so professional, so well done… we were slightly disappointed there were no live chickens,” Terri chuckles.
    Bindi, who has become a celebrity in her own right, is turning 16 this July. She raves about the valley.
    “I love that you have canola oil plantations all over, so you have these beautiful yellow flowers outside, then you drive in to Drumheller and you have the Badlands. The contrast is so amazing we feel lucky to have seen everything,” said Bindi.

ATCO Electric, led by Nancy Southern, Chair, President & CEO feels that Albertans should be concerned about the sale of AltaLink to an American company.
    Currently AltaLink is a transmission line operator that provides electricity to 85 per cent of Albertans.   Its parent company SNC –Lavalin has made application to sell its equity interest to Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company, owned by billionaire and philanthropist Warren Buffet.
    This week ATCO Electric put out full-page ads in major Alberta newspapers including The Drumheller Mail.  It states: ‘We’re Losing Control” referencing the pending sale of the electricity grid.
    “The pending sale of AltaLink to Berkshire Hathaway has serious consequences for the province we call home.
• Loss of control over our critical infrastructure
• Regulation oversight stops at the border
• Potential for more power exports”
 Southern recently told the Calgary Herald the company was placing the ads and in a press release urges debate of the possible sale.
    “The electric transmission system is critical infrastructure and in every other province, but Alberta, it is owned within the province,” said Nancy Southern, Chair, President & CEO, ATCO. “I believe this is a matter of principle that should be debated so that all Albertans understand the impact of such a transaction.”
    The formal review and scrutiny period for the sale by the Alberta Utilities Commission  (AUC) began on May 28. This is where they accept submissions from people who may have an interest in this application. The deadline for these initial submissions was June 20.
    The AUC will review the applications in a methodical, fully public, evidence-based process and produce a written decision, with reasons. The AUC may attach conditions to its decisions. Representatives of various stakeholder groups, for example consumers, are expected to be part of this proceeding as interveners. Individual Albertans may also provide a written intervention to the AUC in support of, or in objection to, the specific applications received,” states a press release.
    Under the Alberta Utilities Act, before the sale proceeds, it must be reviewed and approved by the AUC. It may also be reviewed and approved by Industry Canada.

A crew from the Town of Drumheller and Drumheller Kinsmen Club are hard at work in the heat July 16 installing the new playground at Greentree Park. On site are the Town’s staff along with Ashley Wright at the back, and at the front (l-r) Tyler Thompson, Keith Hodgson, Wes Chung, and Playworks installer Sheldon Tarry.  The Drumheller Kinsmen Club initiated the playground project - furnishing funds, being awarded a government grant, and receiving community and business donations.  Wright estimates the total project cost at $90,000. Hodgson said the tough part will be keeping the kids off the play equipment until the cement cures.

A severe thunderstorm alert is in effect today, with the warning stretching from late morning into this evening.
    Environment Canada expects severe thunderstorms to develop early this afternoon in the Drumheller, Red Deer and Airdrie regions and then spread eastward into the Hanna, Brooks and Medicine Hat regions.        
    The weather agency notes the potential that with these severe thunderstorms comes an increased risk for damaging wind gusts, damaging hail, heavy rain, and possibly tornados.
    The warning covers the Town of Drumheller, as well as Kneehill County: areas near Carbon, Acme, Linden, Three Hills, Torrington, Wimborne, Trochu  and Huxley.
    In Wheatland County: near Rockyford and Rosebud, and Highways 569 and 848.
    In Starland County: areas near Michichi, Delia, Morrin, Munson, Rumsey and Rowley.
    Special Areas 2 near Finnegan and Little Fish Lake Provincial Park, and areas near Hanna and Richdale.
    Environment Canada says conditions are caused by a warm and humid air mass over Southern Alberta.
    Find a complete list of Environment Canada’s Alberta Weather Alerts at http://weather.gc.ca/warnings/index_e.html?prov=ab

    A man named Drumheller is on a journey to trace and document his roots and made the logical stop in the valley.
 Wayne Drumheller and his wife Linda were through the valley last week. The writer and photographer is working on a book to discover his family and his connection to it, paralleled with his story growing up.
    “It hasn’t been easy tracing my family roots. Originally I was searching to see if I was a son of the American Revolutionary War," he explained.
 His search started with an innocent question from his grandson, asking where he came from.
    “I knew who my father was and my grandfather was but beyond that I didn’t know anything,” he said.
    At the time he was writing a book called "My Highway Home” the story of his coming of age. He left home at 17 in Nelson County, Virginia and joined the military. After his service, he became a newspaper photographer in California.
    “I wrote that and finished that and began digging into the question of who I am,” he said.  “I need to find out who we are because I grew up with Drumhellers that my mother told me I was not kin to, now I am finding out they are my first cousins.”
    In 1985, his great aunt gave him a book of his genealogy.  He is able to trace back the male direct lineage to 1588. He comes from skilled craftsmen.
    Along his journey tracing these roots, he hit a roadblock. He came across a Samuel Coulter Drumheller born in 1801. This is not the Sam Drumheller that founded the town, but he speculates he could be a relative.  The story he learned is that Samuel went west and disappeared from roughly 1819 to 1828.
    “The speculation is that he was so enamored about the Lewis and Clark Expedition that he travelled west. That is who I have been trying to track down. We know he got as far as the Missouri River,” said Wayne. “He returned to Virginia in 1857 and died in 1958.
    Wayne is trying to connect this Samuel Drumheller to the Town of Drumheller’s founding Father. While in Drumheller, Wayne spent time doing research with Linde Turner, Deb LaPlante and even Dorothy Bergos.
    The Town of Drumheller’s namesake is known to be the son of Jesse Drumheller and was born in Walla Walla County, Washington in 1864. Jesse may have been the son of Nicholas Lafayette Drumheller of Virginia. The legend of Sam Drumheller was that he won a coin toss with Thomas Greentree to become the namesake of the town.
    One thing that Wayne has learned about his family is they were cunning.
    “There is some question about the toss of the coin, that possibly that Drumheller could have set it up for Greentree because he was after fame rather than fortune,” he said. “This is a common thread all the way back to 1627.  Craft and cunning has been a common thread throughout the Drumhellers.”
    “Coming to Drumheller I didn’t know what I was going to find. What I have found is some essence of what the Drumhellers were. They were persistent, hardy people, and I know they made it everywhere.”
    At first when writing his book he was planning to skip over the small era between the two Samuel Drumhellers, but now he is more determined to bridge this gap.
    He appreciates any feedback he he can receive from those who know more about the Drumheller family and encourages them to email him at wd2999@yahoo.com

Nancy Guntrip, Site Manager for the Drumheller Health Centre, at the fundraising gala evening for Quilting in the Badlands.

The fourth Quilting in the Badlands quilt show has raised over fourteen-thousand dollars for the Drumheller Health Centre.
    Linda Ames of the Drumheller Area Health Foundation said the fundraising goal of $60,000 to buy two monitors for the hospital’s obstetrics department was surpassed, due in part to the the quilters’ fundraising gala evening July 4 and the sale of quilts over the four-day quilt festival.
    A portion of the proceeds from each quilt sale went to support the Drunehller Area Health Foundation.

The Drumheller Dragons are pleased to announce the signing of 17 year old Brodie Buhler.

Brodie is a 5’ 11” 180lb forward from Revelstoke, BC. He played the last 3 seasons for the Revelstoke Grizzlies in the KIJHL.

GM/Head Coach Brian Curran had this to say about the recent signing, “Brodie is a very hardworking, great skater who will bring that edge to the team that I personally look for in a player. I look forward to working with Brodie and helping him reach his future goals.”

Buhler had this to say about his recent signing, “I chose Drumheller because I wanted to be part of an organization where winning is mandatory! I also feel as I fit in with Coach Curran’s style of play. I am very excited to start the season and I hope to help bring a championship back to Drumheller!”

The Dragons organization would like to congratulate Brodie and his family on the recent signing and welcome them to the Dragons Family.

    A man is facing 90 days incarceration after leading Three Hills RCMP on a chase through the town last October.
    Nolen Labelle, 30 appeared in provincial court in Drumheller on Friday July 18. He pleaded guilty to failing to stop for police and impaired operation of a vehicle.
    The court heard how in October 2013, Three Hills RCMP were alerted to vehicle stemming from a complaint when a driver reported they were being chased on Highway 21.  RCMP stopped the vehicle near the Town of Three Hills, and parked its cruiser nose-to nose with suspect vehicle.  The driver took off, hitting the police cruiser and driving into the ditch. RCMP gave chase through the Town of Three Hills and out the other side, reaching speeds of 120-140 kilometres per hour. After about eight kilometres, a second stop was made.
    The constable observed significant signs of impairment.
    The crown and defense agreed on a joint submission for an intermittent sentence of 90 days incarceration. They cited a positive report and family support.  Labelle said he is no longer drinking and has a common law spouse who is expecting.
    Judge Schriar went along with the joint submission of 90 days to be served on weekends, followed by two years probation.

A Drumheller man known for his passion for family and soccer died Tuesday in Seaside, Oregon.
    Jerry Brett, 53, was on a holiday on the west coast of the United States and was at the beach with family. According to Seaside officials, at 5:22 p.m., he had gone underwater. He was pulled from the water about 10 minutes later three blocks from where he was last seen. Emergency officials were not able to revive Brett.
      Brett was a development officer with the Town of Drumheller before taking a position at Kneehill County,  where he was director of planning and protective services. Those who worked with him and who he dealt with describe him as jovial and very professional. He was past president of the Alberta Development Officers Association.
    Bob Long, Reeve of Kneehill County, knew Brett before he came to be employed by the county and considers him a good friend.
    “He was a very special person and like I said ‘you will be able to replace the planner, but you will never, ever be able to replace Jerry,’” said Long.
     Brett had a passion for soccer and was involved as a volunteer and coach with the Drumheller Minor Soccer Association for many years.  He was a wealth of information on the subject and this year made it back on the pitch to play in the Drumheller adult coed league.
    Born in England, he was a passionate fan of the Tottenham Hot Spur. Part of his recent trip to the Pacific Northwest was to see his favourite team take on the Seattle Sounders on July 19.
    Tom Dooley knew Brett well through soccer and coaching. They also played together on the same team as adults.
    Often family and soccer overlapped.  Dooley coached Brett’s son Nicholas on a team that won the U18 provincial championship. A few years later, Nicholas passed away. Dooley noted that after each game this year Brett played, he would go to a bench dedicated to Nicholas, and sit and reflect.
    “He loved his family and he was a good friend,” said Dooley.

Friends of East Wheatland is a group of individuals with a goal set to help support the communities of Hussar, Standard, Rockyford, and Central Bow Valley in the development of their new school.  
    Friends of East Wheatland first formed their volunteer based committee to fund-raise for addition enhancement costs not supported by Provincial funding. All proceeds raised will go towards improving the new school.
    Kim Larson, President of Friends of East Wheatland,  has high hopes for the project.
    “Our personal goal is to raise between 1.3 to 1.5 million dollars,” Larson says. “We’ve applied for a lot of grants, we’ve started working with a lot of corporate businesses for donations, and we have a bunch of fundraisers planned. We’re hoping for two or three hundred thousand dollars with all of [the fund-raisers] that we have on the go right now.”
    Integrating fundamental aspects of education into their goals, Friends of East Wheatland’s vision statement says: “Our work will enhance the facility and programing that reflects our students and their interests while honouring our rural heritage.”
    The money brought in from fundraisers will help support East Wheatland’s vision for the new school.  They would like to provide prospect students with 21st century learning, enabling them to reach not only short term, but their long term goals as well. Partnerships with Olds and Lakeland college are being pursued to help further the new school’s long term reach.    
    Plans for broader programming will give the students an opportunity to explore their individual interests. From the implementation of Home Ec, Drama, Welding, Cosmetology, to a new media room, a fitness center, an agriculture program, and an outdoor classroom, their goals are not limited. Friends of East Wheatland is confident in achieving optimal programming for their students.
    “I think now that they unveiled the sign and everybody knows it’s happening, everyone will be more than happy to pitch in and support through all the communities. I think once they actually see the work starting, we will have an awesome response from everybody,” says Larson, “it’s just been a long time coming.”
    The new school has a projected opening date for September 2016.

    Blink, blink...Are you seeing double? We sure are in Rosebud!
    There are two shows in Rosebud this summer and one actor who is busy performing in both. Joel Stephanson appears as His Nibs at the Opera House in Chickens and transforms into C.S. Lewis for Freud’s Last Session at the BMO Studio Stage.
     Stephanson is a resident company member of Rosebud Theatre who first connected with Rosebud in 2009 when he emailed the Theatre to ask about the blank spaces next to some of the “musician” roles for that summer’s production of Man of La Mancha. That led to him playing bass for the show, and since then he has appeared in several other Rosebud Theatre shows as a musician, actor, or both. As of the fall of 2012, he became a full-time Rosebud resident. 
     When asked about the challenge of being in two shows at the same time, Stephanson says, “Sometimes it’s purely a matter of energy. It gets daunting to gear up for such a drastically different show soon after the first one ends, but the variety can itself be oddly energizing. There are wonderful, supportive people working on each production, which helps a great deal as well. Mostly, I feel lucky to be a part of both.”
    A roller coaster debate ensues when legendary psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud, invites famous author, C.S. Lewis to his office in Freud’s Last Session. Expecting a confrontation for his recent satire of Freud, Lewis soon realizes there’s a much more significant agenda in this fictional story. On the day England enters World War II, these two brilliant men address the greatest questions of all time: God, love, sex and the meaning of life...just weeks before Freud takes his own.
    Chickens, tells the story of Pal, a bankrupt farmer with one last chance to save the farm. When he starts investing his hopes in exotic chickens, his wife, Liza, thinks he’s flown the coop! With rowdy roosters running amuck and aging hens looking for love, this musical romantic comedy will have audiences of all ages singing along and rolling in the aisles with laughter!

    Already 231 are signed up for the fifth annual Community Futures Dinosaur Valley Half Marathon event scheduled for September 14, and along with runners, they are looking for volunteers.
    This year the event is celebrating its fifth anniversary and to mark this, they are adding a full 42-kilometre marathon road race.  It takes on all aspects of the varied Drumheller terrain.
    While registration appears strong, organizer Colin Kloot says there are only 16 racers signed up for the full marathon.
    “Those numbers are strong,” he said, adding that the participation in the 5K family walk and run usually picks up towards the end.
    The Community Futures Half Marathon registration is strong with about 130 and counting signed up. Kloot says there is still time for those wishing to train and do their first half marathon to get in shape for that race.
    “It’s not too late to start training, but they should get going,” he said, adding, “when training, listen to your body.”
    The Encana 10k run also sees strong registration, however Kloot expects they could see some dropping out to take on the first Tough Mudder Event in Drumheller coming up on September 6 and 7.
    There is a real need for volunteers to help mark the fifth anniversary of the race. The race is a grassroots effort that in its first four years has raised $53,000 for the Badlands Community Facility.
    Those who are interested in volunteering for the event to fill a variety of roles can contact Becky Kowalchuk at becky.kowalchuk@gov.ab.ca or call 403-820-6202.

Gord Bamford performing at last year’s community concert for the Valleyview 4-H District.

Drumheller 4-H District brought home a community prize in a recent contest admission: a Gord Bamford concert.
    The fifth annual Why 4-H is Great Contest had returned, and the Drumheller District brought its game face. Out of the 51 eligible districts, Drumheller made top ranking, and took first place.
    Carmen Stone is with the 4-H Foundation of Alberta as Manager of Corporate Partnerships. Stone is grateful for the opportunity that the partnership with ATB Financial has brought for their company.
     “It’s opportunities such as the Why 4-H is Great contest and Gord Bamford fundraising concert that allow 4-H members to keep learning by doing.  Members and leaders will be responsible for planning and promoting the concert as well as pushing ticket sales.  This is a continuous learning experience that will provide confidence and life-applicable skills to our members.  Not to mention, this opportunity is a great way to showcase the 4-H organization and raise funds to ensure 4-H remains a strong and vibrant program.   We are very excited to be having this fundraising concert in Drumheller and can’t wait to celebrate all the 4-H District’s hard work!”
     The community will host Gord Bamford, a Canadian country music star and 2010 CCMA Male Vocalist of the Year. Throughout the past four years, the concert had raised over 68,000 dollars collectively for 4-H districts across Alberta.
    Michelle Hoover, a 4-H Alberta member who competes in 4-H’s Beef Program, is looking forward to her district’s prize.
 “We’re really excited to be bringing Gord Bamford to Drumheller. We have a great 4-H district and wonderful communities. This should be an awesome concert!” Hoover says.
     To win, groups must present an audio visual to a panel of judges made up of ATB Financial, Gord Bamford, and 4-H Alberta. Each submission was then judged on their attempts at creativity, uniqueness, and devotion to their Albertan community.
    “It is activities and experiences like these that truly embrace the 4-H spirit and celebrate head, heart, health and hands,” Stone adds.
    The concert will be on Friday, November 21, 2014. Tickets are expected to go on sale mid-August.

The Town of Drumheller has been undertaking active measures on the treated water supply after they received a number of residents complaints on foul tasting and smelling water.
    Chief Administrative Officer Ray Romanetze for the Town issued a statement updating the work the Town has been doing to solve the problem.
    “The town is drawing raw water from the first two cells where the water is fresher and have also increased the potassium permanganate dosage that is used for taste and odour control.
    “Over the last week, we have flushed all areas of Drumheller to change the water over more quickly. We continue to respond to any complaints that come in. We received several complaints yesterday but none today. “
    “We drained the Newcastle tower yesterday and are checking the other towers to detennine if further draining of towers is required. Testing of towers to date has not shown signs of taste and odour. We will also be doing additional strategic flushing in areas where required. This summarizes steps taken to date.”
    Romanetz said that the treated water at Drumheller’s water treatment plant shows no signs of taste and odour at this time.

Drumheller novice boxer Jon Olhauser won his first belt in Grande Prairie, his seventh amateur fight. Olhauser started boxing for fitness,  then moved into competition.

    Last weekend Jon Ohlhauser headed to Grande Prairie in shorts and came home with a pretty big belt to hold them up.
    Ohlhauser won his first belt of his burgeoning boxing career, and with his dedication to the sport, it may not be his last. The matches were part of Grande Prairie’s centennial celebrations.
    “They were also celebrating 100 years of boxing in their community,” explains Ohlhauser. “Willie De Witt was there, and they had eight fights. I won my weight division at 75 kilograms.”
    His interest in the sport came later in life and as a result of supporting his daughter Moriah’s career choice. He explains that her goal is to become an RCMP officer and in working toward this, it was recommend she take up a martial arts or combative sport. She chose kickboxing.
    He wasn’t interested in kickboxing himself, but said he would be interested in boxing for fitness. They found a training gym in Airdrie. That was just over two years ago.
    “After a month, I thought, I was doing all this work, and I am a goal driven person, I’m already in shape, I want to move from fitness to competition,’” he said.
    Since then he has trained and climbed through ropes a few times. The bout in Grande Prairie was his seventh amateur fight, and his second victory.
  At 48, fighting at the amateur level, he is often fighting much younger boxers. In fact the Grande Prairie bout was the first time he had fought someone over 25.
  At the amateur level, he fights under Olympic rules. This means three–three minute rounds. This is more than enough time to wind a boxer to the point of exhaustion. With short matches, there are not many knock outs, but rather lots of strategy.
    “If you trust your coach, he is not going to put you in the ring over your head,” said Ohlhauser.
    “Amateur is about boxing, there may be some 20 year-olds there to impress their girlfriend, but most of the guys in there understand the game is about scoring points, it is not about knockouts.”
  “It is fast, lots of punching, but not huge power. There is more technique, you have to think about how I am going to set the next shot up.”
    He is considered novice because he has had less than 10 fights. After that he moves up to the open division.
    “I like the fact it pushes me, it is a rush to get in the ring. It is just you, and there is no place to hide unless you can get behind the ref,” he laughs.        
    “I’m 48, so at some point I’ll have to put the gloves down, but I don’t feel it. So while I don’t feel it, I might as well see what I can do and go for it.”
    He is not alone. Last spring he went to the community recreation fair to gauge interest in the sport. This resulted in 48 people approaching him interested in doing boxing, either recreationally or for fitness.
    “I got all ages, from kids to adults. I am really playing with the idea that this fall I may open up. I have a facility to do it in, it is just a matter of getting it set up,” he said.

    Drumheller motorists are advised to expect delays crossing the town’s Gordon Taylor Bridge this week.
    From Tuesday August 12 through to Friday, August 15, paving crews are scheduled to work on Highway 9 from 3rd Avenue downtown at the lights to the bridge .
    Motorists should expect delays of up to 30 minutes.
    Speed will be reduced and drivers can expect lane closures down to one lane of alternating traffic.
    If everything works absolutley perfect, paving should be completed this week, said the Town’s Director of Infrastructure Services Allan Kendrick.
    “Hopefully the weather holds, and they’ll be done in a timely fashion.”
    Environment Canada is calling for showers in Drumheller starting Thursday through to the weekend.
      Alberta Transportation advises motorists to obey all flag persons, signs and signals and watch for construction equipment during highway construction.
    Fines for speeding are doubled in construction zones.

Nicole Hiron, 15, was the top junior fundraiser at the 25th anniversary Stars Rumsey Ride last Sunday. She brought in $5,250. She is pictured here with her ride Sheena and the STARS crew.

Riders from age 2 to 86, as well as a pretty cool chopper,  came out for the 25th Annual Ride for STARS last Sunday at the TL Bar Ranch.
    And what a day it was, with 165 riders enjoying the trails.
    “It was way busier than our 20th year,” said an elated Kendra Kiemele, who helped organize the ride. “Usually 120-130 riders would be a good year, but this was just crazy.”
    Typically, the ride will bring in $25,000 in pledges - this year they are looking at in the area of $47,000. This doesn’t include the breakfast, barbecue, and dinner, quilt sale, silent auction or the poker run totals.
 While the numbers are not finalized, they may have exceeded their expectations by having in the area of $60,000 generated from the day.
    This puts their 25 year total at $624,389.
    There was all kinds of fun once you got there, even if you didn’t ride.  Country singer Eli Barsi and Cowboy poet Doris Daley kept participants entertained. The Rumsey Fire Department supplied the breakfast, and Freson Bros. and “Gooch’s Gang” put on a barbecue for the afternoon.
    STARS was onsite selling their memorabilia, including smart looking red bandanas to mark the 25th anniversary.       STARS was even able to come and land its chopper to mark the quarter century of the ride.

    The top fundraiser was Lynn Tanner, who brought in over $11,500, edging out Ernie Goddard who collected over $10,300. Riley Helmer brought in $1,450 for third place. He collected it all in about a week.
    In the junior category, Nicole Hiron, 15, was the top fundraiser, with $5,250. Chase Andersen, 5, raised $4,715, and in third place, Noel Kiemele raised $2,990.
    “There were 11 people who brought in $5,00 or more dollars, and for those 11 people, about 85 per cent of the pledges came from them,” said Kiemele.

    “A lot come and pay the $15 or $20 to ride, but they support the breakfast and help out with the silent auction and buy supper, so everyone contributes a lot. It is incredible support we have had over the 25 years.”

The Drumheller Festival Society holds the annual DinoFest at the World's Largest Dinosaur and is hosting the Tough Mudder event coming in September.

The Drumheller Fesitval Society has received a portion of grant money distributed by the Aberta Government.

The society is one of eight organizations that will share in $431,000 from Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation.

The province is providing the funds to support local groups, "to help boost Alberta’s important tourism industry".

The grant will help stage events over the Tough Mudder weekend September 6 and 7 this year.

Rav Lal will be running in Tough Mudder’s event race September 6 and 7 with his six person team.

The excitement for Tough Mudder is building throughout the Town of Drumheller.
    It may be one of the biggest- and definitely the most extreme- events to hit the Valley, and the residents of Drumheller are welcoming the challenge with open arms.
    Rav Lal is one Drumheller resident who is ready to take on all of Tough Mudder’s 16-20 kilometer, 34 obstacle glory. Running alongside his six person team made up of his wife, Shawna Lal, and friends, Lal will have to face obstacles made up of- but not limited to- mud, ice, fire, and even electric shocks.
    “I wanted to sign up mostly because of the challenge of completing the race, for myself. From seeing all the videos and reading more about it, I’m a combination of excited and nervous, it looks like it’s going to be pretty tough,” Lal says.
    Tough Mudder keeps the actual course that will be run a secret, only disclosing specific need-to-know information about the track. What the participants do know is to expect the unexpected- any of the obstacles on the information site could be used in the course.
    “You know what all the obstacles are, you just have no idea what you’re actually going to see that day,” explains Lal.
    Tough Mudder’s challenging race is now less than a month away, as the set date for the event is September 6 and 7.