Well, that was fun!

Over 70 entries received in our spur-of-the-moment contest to celebrate the Tall Poppies in our community. Not everyone got the gist of the contest, as evidenced by some of the ballots. We had people unintentionally nominating themselves (without explanation, like “I deserve this!”) or nominating us (“great coffee!”).

But most folks got the idea and put down the names of friends, neighbours and loved ones. Sometimes, there was a little coercion involved (Why are you nominating them? “Because she told me to!”) and politicizing (“He’s going to be our next mayor”). Some spouses nominated their partners with ulterior motives (“he needs culture in his life!” and “because I have to live with him.”) More often than not, however, there was genuine consideration and heartfelt appreciation. A few of our favourites:

Why are you nominating them?

• for the special way she touches my life and those around her
• because they give a lot to the fine arts community
• generous spirit
• he built me a kayak
• great citizen
• he cuts grass real good
• taking care of others at work, home and community
• underwent surgery bravely
• hosts Halloween party every year for local kids
• they are gardeners of the heart

The winner of our contest is Catherine Larmer. She was nominated by Carol Darlington for being “a wonderful sister from the heart”. Catherine wins dinner for two at our café and a pair of tickets to the last Festival Players show of the season, Amelia: The Girl Who Wants to Fly, starting on Tuesday and running for the next four weeks.

Our thanks to Festival Players for offering the tickets that inspired this contest, and to all who entered. It’s gratifying to know that our community is filled with many tall poppies. We’ll do something fun like this again soon.