The morning arrived for the Fugowee Snowmobile Club Fun
Run and I dropped by The Grind to wish the participants good luck. I arrived to
a parking lot full of cars and trucks, few snowmobiles. I was not surprised since
the unseasonably warm weather had melted much of Island Park’s lower trail
snow. The arriving participants were greeted by Jamie Phillips, who was serving
a variety of tasty java concoctions.
Despite the general consensus that trail conditions
teetered between lousy and impossible, everyone was anticipating in a day of comradery.
By ten a.m. the participants disbanded, some to grab their sleds and find a
path to Phillips Lodge in route to Mountain Mayhem. Riders hoping to avoid sled
damage from bare pavement, rocks and ice. Others decided to skip the ride
altogether and participate without their sleds.
By 4:00 pm, club members and supporters began descending
on the Mack’s Inn Playhouse for the annual bingo and raffle fundraiser. By 4:30, Joe Williams took charge with all
the charm of a TV game show host. He
began by leading the crowd in a sincere rendition of the pledge of allegiance.
The Island Park Quilt Guild presented patriotic-themed quilts to several
attendees who had served in the military.
With markers at the ready, the capacity crowd waited
intently as Joe called out the numbers. After the first eight numbers were
called out, a single “Bingo” was shouted out by a member of the crowd. A few
more numbers were announced and another “Bingo”. A few more and 2 or 3 “Bingos”
were declared. In between bingo numbers, Joe announced raffle prizes and their
winners. By the end of the night, each bingo number was greeted with a dozen
calls of “Bingo” and a swarm of winners descending on the prize tables until
they were picked as clean as a month-old deer carcass.
Raffle prizes included a .22 caliber rifle, a $400 gift
certificate for Klim equipment and a $350 action-capture camera. Several
sweatshirts from Joe’s Repair Shop were also awarded. Utilizing a parody of
self-promotion, Joe had the crowd chanting “Need a tow, call Joe” by the end of
the night.
As the festivities concluded, I reflected on how the day
started. A snowmobile club fun run with little snow and warm temperatures. It
could have been a disaster but through the day I did not hear one complaint.
Everyone made the best of the situation and had a great time. That is the
strength of Island Park’s residents. They survive and thrive by adapting to
whatever nature throws their way. This resilience is what makes the members of
Idaho’s oldest Snowmobile Club an integral part of Island Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment