Latest News June 15, 2013

Jamboree day One is here and the sun is shining so beautifully we must thank the good guy upstairs, who is watching down on us.

The grounds are looking good, there are lots of campers here and the tents are ready for many, many auction prizes and there is lots of tent so people can sit in the shade if they like.

The guys have the stage and the dance floor looking great and it is just waiting for the sounds of music.

We wish everyone a good time, be sure to speak to your neighbour and make a new friend. If you recognize Aleda, Skylar and Mackenzie please say hello to them and their parents. And, don’t forget to show your appreciation to all of the wonderful talent.

We would like to thank you all for coming, for donating and helping us in any way.

Latest News June 4, 2013

Well, here we are in June. The weeks and the days are moving so fast that our weekend will soon be upon us. Plans are going well and we can say we are as ready as we can be at this point. Some things cannot be done until the last week.

We hope you have all seen the posters around town, we try to get to as many towns as we can. The newspapers were all good to us and we hope some of you were able to read about our little recipients for this year.

We also hope that you have been able to buy some of our raffle tickets. We are pleased with the way they are selling. You can’t win if you don’t have a ticket.

As you can see by the sponsor list we are getting a good many auction items as well as some very nice gifts of cash donations. Our prize gatherers are working really hard. It is not one of the easiest jobs to do so, please be kind to them and if you do not wish to donate or cannot donate we understand. Maybe next year things will be different. Like we always say we accept anything large and small.

All our entertainers are on board and looking forward to performing for you at the Little Valley Jamboree on Father’s Day weekend.

The Erickson Flying Club would love to have you come for breakfast on Sunday morning from 8 am to 11 am.

I will leave you for now and if anything comes up please give me a shout or send an e-mail.
Thanks for reading my little blog.

May 8, 2013

Well here we are getting closer to the Jamboree. With it being almost in the middle of the month it is coming up faster. But, we are almost ready.

Take a look at the Entertainment list, a couple of new names and some of the old standbys. There is lots of good entertainment lined up. And we are grateful to all musicians for the donation of their time and talents.

Adam Wiebe, one of our 2011 Recipients will be performing once again on Sunday. We look forward to that.
Also, you will see on our Sunday Entertainment list that Dean Gunnarson will be performing in the afternoon. We wonder what magic and daring escapes he is planning for us.

Raffle ticket sales are going well, be sure to get some for yourself, you know the old saying, “if you don’t have a ticket, you can’t win”.

We’d like to give a huge thank you to all of our ticket sellers. The list of sellers includes many of our former Jamboree recipients and we appreciate that more than you know. The Jamboree is all about people helping people.
50-50 draws will be ongoing for both days.

The Auction Tent will be bulging again. The girls are bringing in the prizes again for the auction and my house is filling up. We have been promised a bigger tent this year so won’t be so crowded. Everyone is being very generous with their cash donations, also.

The Jamboree Express is coming to Erickson on Saturday and Sunday. Engineer Craig is looking for his engineer’s hat, and ready to give everyone rides.

The Money Mountain will be held on Sunday at 12 Noon, again this year with some fun digging for treasure. There will be lots of coins and fun prizes for all.

Canteen :
Please come to our Canteen and Refreshment Bar and greet the smiling faces of the volunteer workers there.
There will be the great perogys made by the church ladies and the W.I. hamburgers and taco salads to choose from in the Canteen. I also received breaking news on Tuesday there will be French Fries this year.

The Refreshment Bar will also be there to satisfy your thirst, (because we are expecting hot weather).

Breakfast - Sunday morning 8-11, will be available at the airport which is an annual event hosted by the Erickson Flying Club.

Erickson Campground has only so many serviced sites so it is first come, first served. It is a well maintained campground with reasonable prices and is close to the Jamboree site. You can check out the campground on the Erickson website, for details. www.erickson-mb.com

Ticket prices have changed slightly this year.
Adults per day - $15.00
Adult Weekend - $20.00
Students $15.00
12 and Under – Free

NAC TV, Neepawa will be there filming for their Access Channel 12 which is broadcast World Wide now. Check your local listings for the times and channels in your area. As usual, they will be filming the whole two days and they will have DVD’s available.

So remember “Rain or Shine” we will all be there in the Fairgrounds in Erickson on June 15 and 16. Please remember your lawn chairs, as usual there will be a large shelter tent. Make sure you bring a warm sweater or jacket even though we are hopeful that Mother Nature will be more favorable to us this year.

We must always remember that we are doing this for the kids. We just want to make their family’s lives a little easier. They are so grateful to us and everyone for their support.

Please remember to come and say hello, Rod will be the one doing all the talking and wearing the white cowboy hat, (he likes hugs). Saskatchewan we will be watching for you.

Thanks for reading about the latest news and remember I welcome all e-mails.

Hope to see you all there.

 

March 2013

The 2013 Little Valley Jamboree is getting into full swing. We have selected our recipients for this year and they are:
Aleda Mitchell - Brandon, Manitoba and Mackenzie and Skylar Wozney - Minnedosa, Manitoba

Please be sure to read their stories that their parents have written.

Other plans are being made also, those wonderful fun pay-what-you-pull tickets that everyone loves are on order and you will soon see them in stores and from any of our committee members or our sellers. If any one is a good ticket seller we could always give you a job. Please contact us and we will put you in touch with the right person.

Rod is working on the lineup of entertainment and I am sure he will get the very best for this years Jamboree, which he always does.

One thing and it is a big thing we need lots of prayers or whatever it takes to give us some good weather this year. We were very proud of last years audience. Most of you stayed right through the rain and the cold. Thank you, we appreciate that.

As usual I like to ask if anyone has any suggestions or questions about anything please do not hesitate to e-mail me.

Will be back in touch when we have anything new to report.

 

August 2012

Rod and Evelyn and Boniface and Gail Sawchuk went to Neepawa on August 2nd to visit Danielle and Dexter and Bryce Christopherson.  Bryce was riding on a very special bike. The bike was on loan as Bryce’s bike was not ready yet. It looks like a very safe, sturdy bike and has Bryce all strapped in with seat belts but he can pedal it and loves to ride it. His mother was so happy, she said she thought her son would never be able to ride a bike. They are also getting a special swing for Bryce.

Danielle and Dexter have wished for a long time that they could take Bryce to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for an assessment. They are waiting for a call with an appointment date to travel there.
Dexter and Danielle were very, very excited and grateful for the check of $12,000.00 which the Jamboree and all its supporters had raised.

Thanks to John Drinkwater of the Neepawa Banner for being there as a reporter and photographer and for his follow up of the Jamboree.

On August 8th Rod, Evelyn, Gail and Boniface travelled to Minnedosa for a visit with Sondra and Michael Bugg and their sons Devin and Griffin. Griffin had just gone through a very scary time with his illness and an ambulance had to be called one night as he was experiencing a severe seizure. But, his mother says he is feeling much better now. Michael is busy building a deck which will also have a special swimming pool for Griffin. His Doctors wish him to be outside as much as possible and now Griffin can get around with his special walker. His physiotherapists are also giving him his therapy outside and also will use the pool for therapy when it is completed.

Another special event will take place soon as “Freddy” will come to live with the Bugg family. Freddy is a special dog that has been trained by the Manitoba Search and Rescue to detect seizures in children. He is from Winnipeg and so is living with a trainer in a small town in order to let Freddy know about life in a small town.  Sometime this month Freddy will come to Minnedosa to live with the Bugg family. Apparently it may take some months for the dog to become bonded with Griffin and also for Griffin and his family to become bonded with Freddy. It is fascinating to learn about and what can be done for children these days. Sondra and Mike have promised to let us know when we can come and meet the dog and learn more about this.  

They also were overwhelmed and grateful for the $12000.00 check that was raised for them at the Jamboree. They are currently building a deck with a special swimming pool for Griffin.  The funds will also help out with Freddy’s care.

Thank you to John Drinkwater, Neepawa Banner and Darryl Holyk, Minnedosa Tribune who came to photograph this time with the Buggs.

The Jamboree committee are honored to have been able to give a helping hand to  these families and would like to thank once again all the businesses and individuals to have helped in any way to make the 2012 Jamboree a successful event.

At this time I would like to thank Dale and Brie, who have been helping me with this website.
They have a Photography business in Brandon and have become extremely busy with that. They are found in Brandon on 10th St and have a wonderful showroom and can photograph anything that anyone needs a photo off. Dale also has done some aerial photography. As a result, this will be the last entry on the website by Dale. We thank him for his assistance and wish Dale and his family every success.

Last evening I had an offer from Michael Bugg who offered to assist us in any way with future Jamboree’s. He does websites. I immediately said I had a job for him, so I am Iooking forward to working with him. Thank you Michael.

As always Rod and I are amazed at what we are learning about children and the special needs that some parents are faced with. Most of us go along in our daily lives, sure we all have troubles and heartaches and things to deal with, but most things can be dealt with and we move on. Others take a lot longer. These families live with it every day, just knowing people care is a comfort to them.

We are truly blessed to have been given this opportunity to meet such wonderful families.

This will be the last entry for a while so if you have any questions or suggestions about anything please, do not hesitate to call or e-mail.

Bryce with his bike	Dexter, Danielle Christopherson, Boniface and Gail Sawchuk, Rod Lewandoski and Bryce Chrisopherson
Rod Lewandoski, Sondra, Devin, Michael and Griffin Bugg, Gail and Boniface Sawchuk	Griffin loves his guitar

July 6, 2012

Well here it is July 6th already and I think everyone will agree that it has been a HOT one so far. Where was this sunshine on the Sunday of the Jamboree?   We have to be thankful that the rain was only light and there was no thunder or lightning, because that would have shutdown the music. It certainly was not a deterrent for the kids on the Bouncy House and in the sand pit. But, the rain and wind was not a good thing for either event. Most kids do not mind getting dirty. We felt sorry for the mothers though as they had to decide ``to wash or to drop in the garbage``. We were fairly certain all the money in the sand pit was not found. So, as we know of a Special fund for a Play Structure for the Elementary School we have let the organizers of that fund know to go in there and look for the money and put it towards the Play Structure Fund.

We are so grateful that as many people came and stayed as long as they did. We are also thankful to the people who bought Gate tickets but could not attend, but did not forget to give a donation to our kids.

I have focused on Sunday but I should comment on Saturday. The weather cooperated and we had a good day. As usual the music was great and the kids were able to have a little fun on the bouncy house. The live Auction was enjoyed by all, so thank you to all the donors and the buyers and to our Auctioneer.

We would like to congratulate the winners of our Pay-What-You- Pull Tickets.
1st Prize - $500.00 – Ellen Waters of Regina, SK
2nd Prize - $300.00 –D. Fox of Estevan, Sk
3rd Prize – Willie Zwarich - $100.00
Thanks you to all the people who sold tickets, we will be back next year to lean on you once again. Thanks for buying tickets also and good luck next year.

We are sorry that we did not have a photographer for pictures this year. Most of our regular picture takers were indisposed. If anyone has pictures we would really appreciate it, if you could e-mail them to me or mail them. Either would be just fine.

We will leave you now and will be back one more time this year with the Presentations to the Bugg and Chrisopherson Families.

June 15th

Saturday times are 2am to 12am
Sunday times are 11am to 8pm

The Jamboree were extremely fortunate this year as we had a donor donate to us quite an awesome prize.
It is an autographed Mounted Jersey of Sidney Crosby. It includes a game puck, his rookie card and
a letter of authenticity. It will go into our live auction which will be Saturday evening approxiametly at 7.00 pm.
The Jersey will be on display at 2 pm Saturday. Come early for some great entertainment and fun for the kids.

Hope to see you all there.

June 11, 2012

Hi everyone
We are counting down the sleeps as time is going by quickly.

We have had a few calls as to admission prices. We have the same low price as in the past.
Adults $15.00 weekend, $10.00 per day
Students $10.00 weekend. $6.00 per day
Children under 12 free.

We have some very generous donors this year with their money and the Auction prizes are amazing. We cannot thank these donors enough.
Also, the Committee wants to thank the people who went around to collect prizes, it is not an easy thing to do for most people. We are fortunate enough to have some people who enjoy it.
Also, the campground is run by the town of Erickson. There are only a limited number of serviced lots, so, if you need one you have to park a camper on it early in the week and pay for each night it is there. That is the rule. You cannot reserve.
However, if you do not need a serviced lot there are lots and lots of room. If you would like to confirm this or if you have other questions, please call the Office at 1-204-636-2431

We have a good weekend lined up for you and the long range weather sounds good but a few prayers won't hurt.

See you soon.
Please be sure to call or write an e-mail if you have any questions. 1-204-865-2447
eandrlew@gmail.com

May 18, 2012

Jamboree time is fast approaching. The days surely slip by quickly. Everything is getting done and we will be ready.
The Entertainers have just been listed also so take a peek at that and then get your dancing shoes ready.

We have an extra surprise for the children this year. It is our 15th year so something special has been planned for you by one of our donors. So make sure you check that out.

The prizes are coming in for the auction, still some raffle books around for you to get that lucky ticket.

So, tell your friends and neighbours about the Jamboree and bring them along, too.
We sincerely enjoy seeing our regulars and meeting new people.

I have heard that the Canteen is getting their menu planned. They are always looking for volunteers. You know the old story, many hands make light work. If you think you could spare an hour or two to help them out please call the number on this website or send an e-mail. Anything you could do would be appreciated. Thanks

That’s it for now.

April 2, 2012

Here, it is, almost the end of March but the weather is nicer than usual. We had an incredible winter, weather wise.  Let us hope it keeps up and is beautiful right through to the Jamboree. The Jamboree deserves a weekend of beautiful sunny weather.

This Jamboree is our 15th year. Who would have believed that we would still be doing this after all these years?  Every time that we are in contact with a former recipient we realize once again how some children just need a helping hand. We feel privileged to give it to them. We are grateful to all the generous people who support us in so many different ways making it possible to help one child at a time.

Some of our former recipients remembered the Jamboree family at Christmas with cards and pictures, and we are always happy to receive them and pass the info on to the other Jamboree committee members and our readers.

Sarabeth McKean sent us her latest school picture and one of her brothers Cody and Dylan and they are proudly displayed on our fridge. The McKean’s have moved from Brandon to Minnedosa and from what we here they are enjoying Minnedosa. Sarabeth is an amazing little girl and has come a long way and we are so happy that she is progressing so well.
Dean Little of Portage sent us recent school picture at Christmas. Dean lived in Minnedosa when we sponsored him in 2005 and he is doing very well. Dean graduates this year and we are very proud of him.

We had a picture from Arwen Chapman and family. They were able to go on a holiday this past summer. It was made a whole lot more enjoyable for the family with the new stroller they were able to purchase for Arwen from Jamboree funds. They were most grateful.
Shaun Walter’s mother in Russell called to say he was not doing too well. So we went for a visit. He was having a good day and he and Rod managed to exchange a few jokes. They have always had a thing about cars and there is a constant debate going on as to the best car. It was great to see him and his amazing family. His mother has written he is feeling a little better, since we were there, so that is good news. We are hoping to visit again soon as Kim has offered to sell raffle tickets for us again. If I had to guess I would say Kim could be our #1 ticket seller over the years. The Jamboree thanks Kim and your ticket selling family and friends.
We also ran into Emily Grudeski’s grandmother. The Jamboree had made it possible for Emily’s family to purchase an insulin pump in 2007. Her Grandmother says it has changed her life and she is doing very well. Emily also got to make a trip to Winnipeg to meet with George Canyon. He wears an insulin pump 24-7 just like Emily. Emily told him all about the Jamboree and he was quite interested. Where will you be on June 16 and 17th George Canyon? Sure would b e nice if you were to drop in.

Mackenzie Wozney who was a recipient in 2007 is doing very well. But, it seems her little sister Sklyar is not. We were aware that she had health problems but it seems she is going to Vancouver in April to have brain surgery. We certainly wish her every success. The Jamboree committee were able to give her a donation towards expenses from our rainy day fund. She is a sweet little girl and we wish her well.

Adam Wiebe’s family sent us a recent picture of Adam at Christmas. Then, we ran into his father when we had stopped for a break on our way to Winnipeg a couple of months ago, Mr. Wiebe was heading into Portage to have a look at some CF vests which is what will help Adam to care for his cystic fibrobis. We have not heard how that is going but hope to be in touch with them soon. Also, Adam has a surprise for us at the 2012 Jamboree. We can hardly wait.
Porter Dunn has his insulin pump and his Mother says it is going well. It certainly takes some getting used to as we can well imagine, but Porter is happy not to be getting so many needles and for the freedom the pump has given him.  They plan to attend the Jamboree as they are very grateful and will help us out again selling tickets.

So, as I have said the tickets are out and about. A whole book goes for $11.00 so buy a book and have more chances to win. Our prize gatherers will be out with their smiling faces so please greet them with a smile and remember you will be helping a child.
Until next time I will leave you with a smile and please mark the Jamboree on your calendar. June 16 and 17, in Erickson.

Oh yes, I should let everyone know there will be a meeting, April 11, 7.30 at the Crossroads in Erickson. The Erickson groups who make up the Jam committee and who are in charge of the refreshment booth and the canteen are looking for volunteers. So, please drop in and put your name down to be a security guard or flip a hamburger or two. Plan to relax and enjoy the music and visit the auction when your shift is finished. We will all be glad to see you there.
I have another PS. We are headed to the Alonsa Hotel on the 21st. Randy, Marcie and their staff are hosting another Jam session with all those great musicians from around that area. They are also hoping for a Bluegrass Band to attend. 2012 will b e the third year these great people have been helping out the Jamboree. Last year they raised a huge amount of money for the kids. They also have presented guitars to each recipient. Each performer during the weekend signs the guitars so it is a real keepsake for them.
It is because of people like these that make our Jamboree so successful.
That  really is all for now!!!

We have chosen our recipients for this year.
From Minnedosa we have Griffen Bugg who has a disease called. I could go into this but I prefer you go to Beneficiaries as Griffin’s parents have written a story about him.
Also, we have Bryce Christopherson from Neepawa who has another long name. Please read his parents write up about Bryce.

Rod is working on the entertainment line-up and as soon as he has it ready we will post it. It may be a while yet. We will soon have our pay-what-you-pull tickets circulation around ao please buy a ticket. You can’t win if you don’t have a ticket.
As always we are open to suggestions and questions. Just e-mail me at eandrlew@gmail.com and I will be happy to hear from you.
Until later............

August 11, 2011

The 14th annual Little Valley Jamboree was a success once again. We were all a little worried with all the rain leading up to the event. But the volunteers got together and with a few loads of sand they managed to get the site in pretty good shape. Saturday was beautiful and sunny, but in the evening some pretty heavy showers began which put an end to our last group of entertainers. A few people were dancing in the rain but it did not look like it would let up for quite a while. This rain unfortunately made the grounds for Sunday a little messy but everyone just went a long with it and had a good time anyway. Rubber boots were the footwear of the day.

Out attendance was down a little this year but we had a lot of very generous donations. Also, we ran the auction for two days this year and that gave us a little more revenue. So we were able to present the recipients with a very generous check.

On August 8th Rod and Evelyn travelled to Brandon where they delivered checks to the 2011 recipients. They were accompanied by John and Margaret Drinkwater from Neepawa. John came along to photograph the children and their families.

First stop was at the Arthur, Kim and Adam Wiebe home in downtown Brandon. Rod gave Adam a check for $12,000.00, which will go towards the CF Vest which will aid Adam in his daily life. The parents were very appreciative to all the people, who came to the Jamboree, supporting it by cash donation, auction donations, buying tickets and just by attending, as well as to all volunteers and all entertainers, and anyone who contributed in any way. They promise to be back next year to help out with next year’s families.

Next stop was a little way out of town where they visited the Dunn Family. Porter has his insulin pump already and is doing fine with it. He had just returned from diabetes camp where he met other children with diabetes also. Porter’s parents  Cindy and Bruce were very appreciative also to everyone for their help. The 12,000.00 check would pay for the insulin pump plus about one and a half years of supplies. Little brothers Blake and Lawson entertained the visitors. The Dunn family also promised to return in 2012 to help with the Jamboree.

We are very happy to say that another successful Jamboree was held.

Next year will be the 15th annual, never thought we would make it this long.

The dates for 2012 will be June 16 and 17. Hope to see you all there.

If anyone has questions or suggestions please call the number on the home page or e-mail us.

Thanks to everyone once again!!!!

June 21, 2011

It is a dreary day today as I write this. Yesterday was also and it has been mentioned a number of times how fortunate we were to have two days of sunshine. The Saturday night rain was unfortunate but what can you do? You dance in the rain as some of us did. This however made the almost dry grounds wet again for Sunday. But, everyone persevered and had a good time.

Our numbers at the gate were down slightly this year, not by much. We all experience those weekends in summer, when we have to make a choice as to where do we go. Family events (such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries') should and do take precedent. We are just so happy that so many people make the Little Valley Jamboree the place to go on Father's Day.

We hope everyone enjoyed the entertainment. The performers are to be commended as they do not even ask for gas money. They just want to help the kids and make music for all of you.

As some of you know there were a couple of problems arising from the auction tent. I just want people to know that we are getting everything sorted out. The committee are constantly trying to make this gigantic task go smoothly. Some interested people have come up with a few ideas for us so that our committee will be doing a little tweaking in this area for next year. This year was overwhelming with the amount of items, people brought and we certainly thank them all form the bottom of our hearts.

I will be writing again when we have our money sorted out and pay the necessary bills to let you know what our two families will receive.

Until then take care and stay dry. Enjoy the sunshine when it shines!

Thank you all for attending, volunteering, giving and whatever you have contributed. Without all of us together we could not make the Jamboree successful.

Please remember we take all suggestions very seriously as we really do want a successful event, so please send your suggestions either through the website or by telephone or just passing the word on through others.

Thank you once again!!!

Latest News – May 30, 2011

I should have mentioned that The Erickson 4H Beef Club will be out there Saturday and Sunday helping you park your vehicles. We hope that you will cooperate with them as they are an important part of our community.

If anyone has seen our posters with Scott Cornelius playing on Sunday then we have to let you know he will be in town on Saturday instead. This young musician has a busy schedule and moving to the Saturday venue helps us out as well as him. Please come to hear him, he will knock your socks off.

Another reminder NAC-TV THE Access Channel in Neepawa will be back filming each one of the performances and they will be happy to make you up a CD of your favourite bands or you could order a full CD for later. Please see Ivan Traill or any of his volunteers at the NAC-TV Van and they will be happy to take your orders.

We will be looking forward to seeing your smiling faces and also remember to bring your smiling faces, your dancing feet and your lawn chairs. We will be happy to look after your enjoyment, your thirst and your appetite.

That's all for now!!!

Latest News - May 24, 2011

Time is flying by. I thought I was going to get everything done up early this year but here I am later than usual.

The weather has been so erratic this year that we hardly know when winter ended and spring began.

But, we can only hope that June 18 th and 19 th will be the sunniest, warmest days of the year.

I have posted the line-up for the bands. They may be changed around a little yet in order to try and accommodate everyone. We just know we have some great talent and whenever you can be here (hopefully the whole weekend) you will have some great entertainment for listening and dancing. Remember applause always encourages the performers and makes them feel welcome. Some of them come from long distances just out of the goodness of their hearts and because they love children so we are very grateful to them all. As you will see there are some old favourites and some new names and faces.

Just a couple of little updates on a few of our children :

We visited Shaun Walter (2005) in Russell this week. He is doing very well, he is taking art in school and he still has his quick wit about him. Shaun likes to get into discussions with Rod concerning cars etc. He and his family, (especially Mom, Kim) are selling raffle tickets for us. She is truly a great ticket seller but she believes in the Jamboree so that all helps to sell tickets. Thank you again Kim.

Shaun Martineau (2006) from Neepawa is graduating this year and we are pretty proud of him. We wish him luck in future endeavours.

Cody Payette (2009) just returned from Winnipeg where he has had back surgery. Grandma Lucy said he came through fine and is a real little trooper.

SaraBeth McKean (2008) is another of our special girls we had the opportunity to visit recently. She is doing very well, is walking really well and also trying to say a lot of words. She is always so happy.

Just a little information on our admission prices, still the same low price as in the past.

Weekend Passes:

Adults - $15.00, Students - $10.00 and children under 12 free.

Saturday or Sunday:

Adults - $10.00, Students - $6.00 and children under 12 free.

Camping is still available, a limited amount of serviced sites and they are taken quickly as some people come to stay the week previous. There is unlimited non-service lots though so we will not turn anyone away.

We are sorry to say that Engineer Craig will not have the Logan Express running in Erickson this year. It is slated for a special CPR weekend in Saskatchewan. But hopefully it will be back next year.

Our beautiful miniature horses are back on Sunday so be sure to say hello to them.

We will have our Money Mountain on Sunday and also Tinkles the Clown is coming back on Sunday. So, think of some funny faces or beautiful faces, Tinkles can do anything.

Be sure to visit our Canteen, the people there work very hard to bring you fresh, well cooked food so we encourage you to support them. Visit the Lions in the refreshment booth. They will be glad to take away your thirst.

Also, if Dad is hungry on Sunday morning, take a walk to the airport and the Erickson Flying Club will dish you up a great pancake, sausage breakfast. It will give you lots of energy for an afternoon and evening of dancing on the Jamboree stage.

That's about all for now. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or suggestions.

Hope to see you all on June 18 th and 19 th !!

April 7, 2011

Hi Folks

Is everyone ready for our 14 th Annual Little Valley Jamboree? We are getting there and we can hardly believe it has been that long since we started. And it is so great to think of all the families and children we have met over the years.

Here we are into April and we still have so much snow. But nice sunny days will help it to melt away.

We have been busy getting the tickets printed and distributed.

Rod has been working on the entertainment and it looks like a pretty good line up to me. He is still tweeking it a little.

Everything is falling in to place once again.

Through the help of friends we have found two seven year old boys who need a helping hand and we will try our best to do what we can for them. Please check out the Beneficiaries link and see their smiling faces, read their bios and you will fall in love with them as we did.

We have lots of questions about the campground. There are only 20 serviced sites and unlimited non-serviced sites. It is on a first come first served basis, no reservations. Please call us if you have any more questions.

As before we are always open to suggestions and welcome any correspondence.

October 5, 2010

Hi all

I am sure a lot of you thought I was never coming back with pictures and an update on the children.

Summer gets a little busy which is really no excuse for our dedicated Jamboree readers. Finally, here are the pictures. Thanks to Scott Lewandoski of Winnipeg and Wayne and Bertie Kreiser of Brandon for snapping them for us. Hope you have fun browsing through them, you may find yourself in the background somewhere or even center stage.

In August George and Shawnda Kreiser met with Rod and Evelyn and they went to visit Phoenix and her family. Of course Rod wanted to dance with the girls and they were more than happy to. The family had moved to a new home and Phoenix showed us around, especially her new bedroom. Phoenix was presented with a check for $10,962. This included $9000.00 from the Jamboree and the rest were from designated donors. Her family were more than thrilled as they had arranged for Phoenix to go to Abbottsford for some very specialized therapy treatment. This had been recommended by her doctors as the operation she is to have has to wait for a few more years when she is older. I am sorry to say we have not heard any results of that treatment but will try to find out and let you know. With the money from Joan our 26 cent girl Phoenix wanted to have a fort built in her backyard. We shall have to check on that also and let you know.

Rod and Evelyn accompanied by Ruth and Leonard Kaspick went to Neepawa to visit with the Chapmans. A check of the same amount was presented to Arwen. They have been looking at strollers and into some new communication equipment. Arwen had purchased a trampoline with her 26 cent money and was enjoying it immensely. She did not like to go on by herself so either Mom or Dad was getting a workout also.

Thank you to John Drinkwater of Birnie for travelling to Brandon and Neepawa to take our newspaper photos and visit with the families.

Both families were absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of the checks and were very thankful and grateful that people cared enough to lend a helping hand. They each reported having a lot of fun and enjoying the Jamboree and will be back next year. So be sure to say hello and have a chat.

So thank you once again to everyone who helped to make 2010 Jamboree a success once again. We look forward to next year.

July 4, 2010

Hi to all my web readers. You probably have been waiting for news of the Jamboree, but those of you who attended will know the Jamboree was a success once again.

Mother Nature co-operated with us with the weather for two glorious days. The grounds were a little wet and many people wore their gummy boots. A lot of people pitched in to help with the grass cutting etc. And some sand was brought in for the walkways as it was quite sticky. But we did not need raincoats so that was a blessing. We sure did make use of those golf carts lent to us for the weekend by Ron Wilson of Neepawa.

Lots of children took train rides with Engineer Craig and Conductor Sandra put on lots of miles. I believe they had a couple of relief drivers, son Sean and cousin Bruce Wareham.

Those little horses were as cute as ever and we are so happy that Ron and Gerry from Clanwilliam bring them for our children to enjoy.

This year the Erickson Credit Union hid a surprise key chain in the Money Mountain. Young Brad Williams of Virden was the lucky boy to find it. He was really happy and liked the key chain as much as the inflatable raft I think. We are always happy to see his family as his mother grew up in Erickson. Thanks Credit Union.

The Auction tents were busy as usual. It was a little sticky underfoot. We hope everyone got the prize they were hoping for. My sister-in-law did but my daughter from Vancouver did not so there are always winners and losers. The live Auction went very well with quite a variety of items to bid on. Our fill in auctioneer John Lamport from Franklin did a fine job for us. Terry says he will be back next year. Thank you to all the generous donors.

I mentioned there being winners and losers, well everyone in attendance was a winner this year with the great line up of talent. We have heard many times, “you have to have a fiddle in the band”, well for those people there was lots of great, great fiddle music. We are so lucky to have so many great musicians and bands who, come to us just to play for the kids. It is so wonderful to see so many young people on the dance floor. Everyone enjoyed our group of dancers from Kinosota with their bright costumes. It is the first time we have had a performance like that. As long as the fiddle plays they keep dancing.

Our attendance was down a few people from last year. I am sure the weather had something to do with that. But then there are so many events always going on it is hard for people to know where to go. Our summer is so short with so few weekends for outdoor events. So as a whole we are extremely pleased with the way things turned out at the 2010 Jamboree.

We would be remiss if we did not mention the volunteers who keep everything moving along. From the people who organize the food and drink and the bathroom duties, we appreciate each and every one of you. Together we make it happen.

We are blessed in so many ways. I hope that most of you got to meet Arwen and Phoenix. They are two special young ladies who face their challenges head on and are always smiling. A little birdie told us that Phoenix said she had a goodtime at the Jamboree because everyone made her feel special. We surely do like hearing comments like that.

I will be back with you in a few weeks after we have our meeting and we go to visit the children with the money we have raised and hopefully will have some pictures.

Remember we are always open to suggestions and ideas.

Pictures to follow!!

P.S.

I have to add a small but very important postscript and that is that two of our Jamboree recipients graduated from Grade 12 this year.

Robin McCarthy from Neepawa, who was sponsored in 2001. Robin is headed to Winnipeg to Red River College to take one year of business administration and plans to open his own computer business in Neepawa. Well done and good luck with all your plans Robin.

Shaun Walter from Russell, sponsored in 2005, graduated from Grade 12 also in Russell. We were able to attend Shaun's Grad and watch him receive his diploma. Shaun plans to go back to school next year to help keep the teacher's in line. We are very proud of you Shaun and wish you continued good health and success.

June 1, 2010

Hi all,

Time is slipping by and we are already counting sleeps at our house till our daughter comes from B.C. for the Jamboree. And then it won`t be long till the big weekend.

I had an e-mail from someone about the campground. Thanks Barbara for bringing that to my attention.

The Erickson Campground is run by the town of Erickson and operated by volunteers. We are happy to say that on Jamboree weekend they are pretty full and it helps them with some funding to keep it in good shape. There is always someone available if anyone has a problem.

There are 12 serviced sites but on Jamboree weekend they ask that people double up so that gives us 24. There are unlimited non-service sites but everyone has access to the washrooms, water and firewood.

Rates for serviced sites are $20.00 per night and non-serviced is $15.00 per night. Unfortunately they do not take reservations so lots of people come really early in the week. It is a fun place to camp with lots of friendly people.

I should mention that our gate admission prices have not changed and are still the very reasonable price of $15.00 for the weekend for adults and $10.00 for students. If you can only make it for one day it is $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for students, under 12 are free.

We are looking forward to meeting new friends and hope to meet some new people.

See you soon!

May 17, 2010

Well the Jamboree is almost one month away, hard to believe, but we are almost ready.

I am posting the band line up, you all know they may not be performing in the order they are listed but if you are there you won't miss a thing. You won't want to miss a thing. We have some incredible talent signed up.

The posters are almost ready and hopefully we will get them up before the long weekend so keep an eye out for them. Darren at the Neepawa Press has been working hard on them and is doing an awesome job. We sure do thank him a lot.

I failed to mention that our wonderful face painter Tinkles will be with us on Sunday so if you have someone that would like their face painted start thinking of a special face as Tinkles can do anything.

Please support our Food Booth, the Canteen workers work very hard planning and preparing good food for you. They are all volunteers trying to raise a little money for their particular organization.

B e sure and say hello to those friendly fellas who will serve up your beverage of choice and we must not forget our security people who help us follow all those rules and regulations. We are very grateful also to the paramedics who give of their time just in case of an accident.

Tell everyone you know about the Jamboree, we will be looking for familiar faces and hoping to greet new ones. Be sure and stop by to say hello.

Don't forget if you have any questions give us a call or send an e-mail.

May 3, 2010

Here it is May already, where does the time go. The Jamboree is never far from our minds and back in January when we seriously started planning, we thought wow, we are ahead of ourselves this year. But, then sometime in April we ran into a few glitches but now they are being straightened out and its full steam ahead.

As you know the Jamboree is June 19 and 20 and we will soon be counting sleeps till the big weekend.

This year we are sponsoring two little girls: Arwen Chapman from Neepawa, and Phoenix Lavallee from Brandon. You can find their stories and photos on the recipient page. They are both two special girls and we are hoping to give them a weekend they won't forget as well as assisting them with their special needs. You will love them as much as we do already.

The bands are almost all confirmed, the tents are coming and all our committee members are excited to get the show on the road.

Our prize gatherers are on the road so please have a smile for them. It's not an easy job and all we ask is for you to give what you can and if you can't we understand. We are hoping to hold the Rainbow and Silent Auctions on Saturday this year as well as the Sunday. The Live Auction will be Saturday evening.

Our Money Mountain change jars will be showing up on counters so please drop in a little loose change that will help to keep our little friends occupied. We hope to go with two days for the Money Mountain, as we know some children cannot get there on Sunday.

Those special miniature horses will be making their way from Clanwilliam, on Sunday also. Engineer Craig is getting the Logan Express Train all tuned up for Saturday and Sunday. He is looking forward to seeing his little passengers from last year and is hoping for some new faces.

The music and entertainment line up is looking good, some old favourites and some new bands this year. Please remember when our musicians are on stage that they all come here voluntarily to entertain us so make them feel welcome and show your appreciation. We will be posting that information soon.

Like Bugs Bunny used to say “That's all folks”.

Bye for now.

P.S.

Be sure to get some raffle tickets. If there are none in your area please call and we will get some to you.

Please do not hesitate to call or send an e-mail with questions or maybe some new ideas. We would love to hear from you.

August 6, 2009
The Little Valley Jamboree had another successful year. The event theme has always been helping kids and communities.

The Erickson Jam committee being associated with the Little Valley Jamboree has had another great year again.

The Jam committee benefits from the concession and the refreshment stand operated by local community organizations. The group is responsible for setup and take down and cleanup and maintance of washrooms and security for the event.

This year the Jam committee profited $8,976.25 and the board decided to split $8400.00 to 7 groups helping with the event. The balance with some seed money from past years will be held back for upgrades to the facility.
The groups all being from Erickson consisting of: Fire Dept, Wildlife Association, Lions Club, Recreation Center, Skating Rink, Communties in Bloom and the Women's Institute.

We would like to thank all the volunteers and all those that attended this year’s event and made it such a success. The committee is very pleased with the event, and are looking forward to and, are already planning for next year’s event.

See you all in 2010
Cheers from the
Erickson Jam Committee
Submitted by Kim Braschuk Board member



August 4, 2009
Wow, I must apologize for not bringing the website up to date before this, hopefully you will have read accounts in the papers or heard via the grapevine that 2009 Little Valley Jamboree was a phenomenal success once again.

We could not have asked for better weather. The sun shone and there was not one drop of rain, the first time ever in 12 years, so we were very grateful for that.

For those of you that were there I am sure you will agree that our entertainment was great. All the musicians, singers and performers did an excellent job and we thank them one and all.

The auctions were well attended and we thank everyone who participated, donors and buyers. Please check the sponsor list for all the donor’s names. Once again, thank you to our auctioneer Terry Woychyshyn who did a fantastic job on the live auction.

The miniature horses were much appreciated by all who went for a ride in the wagon on Saturday. Thank you to the Hodgson Family.

The Logan Express was once again very busy both Saturday and Sunday. This year Engineer Craig Turchinksi and Conductor Sandra also held an auction for the children and we had some happy children take home a prize.

The Money Mountain was a huge success again thanks to the generous donors of the sand and all the coins that people saved for us. We also want to thank Pat and Marsha Merrick for the token for the kid’s bicycle.
Thank you to all the media, T.V. Radio and Newspaper, especially those who attended the Jamboree.

The Jamboree Committee was very pleased to present checks to Cody Payette of Neepawa and Keith Battershell of McCreary of $9000.00 each. Their families were very thankful and humbled at the terrific generosity of all involved in making the Jamboree such a success. We are sure that this money will make their lives easier.

Cody and Keith were very fortunate to have a guardian angel named Joan who sang all year long and on Jamboree Day for them. With her song called “26 cents”, (The Wilkinson’s) Joan collected donations of $1045.00 for each of the boys. Cody’s family purchased a trampoline for him with some of Joan’s money, which will definitely be good therapy for him. You truly are an angel Joan for caring so much for the Jamboree children.
I am sure everyone enjoyed the great food prepared by our Erickson Jam Committee organizers. The friendly service at our refreshment booth is always appreciated. Thanks to all those involved with our security, the clean washrooms and it is always comforting to know we have great medical people on call.

That’s about all the news for now. We thank everyone once again for being there for us, and our kids and helping in any way you could. It takes a lot of caring people to put something like the Jamboree together.
Please feel free to email your comments using the address on the main page of this website. We’d love to hear from you as we start planning the 2010 Little Valley Jamboree.

Signed Evelyn & Rod


June 22, 2009
"Thank you to all involved for helping to make this the most wonderful Jamboree. Updates to follow soon!!!"

Latest News - June 19, 2009
Hey Everyone! Only 2 more sleeps! We're just about ready. Campground is almost full, but still lots of places to park if you don't need serviced lots. There is water available and washrooms for everyone and it's not far to walk to the fairgrounds. The schedules for entertainment are all made up. Auction prizes are many, lots of unique items and lots of items for the live auction. Those items will be displayed on Saturday afternoon. Also, on Saturday afternoon there will be an Auction just for children, so be sure to check it out. We also have face painting with Delean and friends on Saturday this year also. The train will be running and the horses will be there.So lots of fun things happening. Saturday will be the Money Mountain, lots of treasure to dig for and some clowns may show up and Tinkles our very own face painter will be here. We missed her last year. The Logan Express will be calling "All Aboard" , but I am sorry the horses have to go to a show so will not be there for us. Lots of great entertainment on Sunday and the Rainbow and Silent Auction will be a fun place to visit. Must go now and make a sign for Elvis's dressing room as well as for some other entertainers. You'll have to be there to find out all the surprises.

SEE YOU ALL ON SATURDAY !!!!!

May 18, 2009 Jamboree Latest News

2009 Jamboree plans are just about all in place. This will be our 12th Annual and our 4th year in Erickson.

We have some great entertainment lined up for you and look forward to seeing all of you again. Welcome to any newcomers.

As in past years we are finding people and businesses are being very generous as we gather donations and prizes. With your help we will fulfill our goals, which is to give a better quality of life to young people who just need a little of our support.

We encourage you to sample some of the great food prepared by our many volunteers of Erickson. Lots of thought and work is put into bringing you the best tasting, freshest food possible. Enjoy!! If you are thirsty please be sure to visit the refreshment booth.

There is lots of Camping available at reasonable prices. There are only a few serviced lots but unlimited non-serviced sites. Everything is on a first come, first served basis.

Our Jamboree clowns will be back and we welcome them with all their fun they have planned for the children. The Money Mountain will be there also with lots of treasures for little people to find. The Logan Express will be calling out All Aboard and will be available for lots of fun rides. Be sure to hitch a ride with our miniature horse, which will be coming to us from Clanwilliam once again. They will be here on Saturday this year.

Admission prices remain the same low price as last year and may be obtained at the gate when you arrive.

We are sorry to report that our doves from “The Sky’s the Limit” have flown the coop so to speak. Joanne and Ken Dodman have moved to SK on a new venture. We will miss the dove release but wish them well.

The Erickson Flying Club will be holding their Annual Father’s Day Breakfast at the Airport. On Sunday June 21st. This will be held from 8am till 11am and is only a short walk from the campground. Plan to get your Sunday morning off to a good start with a great breakfast.

Check out our recipient’s Keith and Cody’s stories and also our entertainment lineup.

Hope to see you all June 20th and 21st. in Erickson.

KATIMIVAK
We are so happy to have the Minnedosa Katimivak Group led by Kris helping out at the Jamboree again this year. Along with Kris will be Matthew, Brandon’s Katimivak leader. These young people will perform many different duties. We are fortunate to have them. Please be sure to say hello and have a chat. They come to us from all Province’s in Canada so let’s make sure they take home some lasting Jamboree and Erickson memories.

Following is a short write-up and picture of a special little boy from Minnedosa, whom the Jamboree was able to help out with a monetary donation in October of 2008.

Cecil J. Fehr or CJ.

CJ just turned 8 yrs old. He lives in Minnedosa with his parents Gloria and Lawrence. He attends Tanners Crossing School and is in Grade 1. CJ was born with a club - foot and when he was 3 years old he had an operation, which straightened out his leg considerably. He has to wear special braces and therefore needs special shoes etc. When CJ turns nine or ten he will require another operation. He recently had his adenoids out and tubes put in his ears, which has helped his speech and hearing a great deal. CJ is a very friendly, smart, determined and special little boy. He tries his hardest at everything and we know he will grow up to be a fine young man. In October of 2008 the Little Valley Jamboree Committee were able to give CJ a check to assist him with his medical expenses.

March 2009

It's that time again and we're pumped!!

2009 Little Valley Jamboree date is June 20th and 21st, so book your holidays, quit your job or whatever, just be there, (PLEASE)!!

The Beneficiaries for 2009 are two young boys, Keith Battershell from McCreary, and Cody Payette from Neepawa. Check out the Beneficiary link for their pictures and stories.

Our raffle tickets are now being sold, watch for them at the usual outlets or contact us. We will be updating Entertainment and happenings as they are confirmed. Thanks for your continued support and please help us again to make 2009 the best year ever!!

August 2008

Members of the Little Valley Jamboree Committee were very pleased to present checks to The Salmon Family and the McKean Family. Sara and Sara Beth each received $8411.22. $7000.00 was presented to each Sara from the Little Valley Jamboree Committee. $1411.22 was raised for each girl from the Community of McCreary. Thank you McCreary!!

My apologies to Joan for omitting this valuable piece of information from our Latest News. Joan Beverly of the Cooked and Done Road Crew is a wonderful giving person. As a lot of you know she has been singing a song called 26 cents by the Wilkinsons for a few years now. Joan sings this song throughout the year at most Cooked and Done performances and at the Jamboree. The hat is passed around to people who wish to donate to her cause, which is helping kids at the Little Valley Jamboree. This year, 2008, Joan presented Sara Salmon and Sara Beth McKean with $750.00 each. She tells them it is for their personal needs or desires. Thank you Joan. So in fact each child received $9161.22 from the 2008 Little Valley Jamboree.

The Salmons and the McKeans were overwhelmed with the generosity and hard work and support of all the volunteers and donors of the Little Valley Jamboree. Both families have equipment to purchase for the girls and will put some money aside for a rainy day.

July 2008

The Little Valley Jamboree was once again successful in achieving their goals. Our success is due to the many, many people involved. When people work together for the same causes anything and everything is possible.

Our committee would like to say thanks to all involved.

Thank you to all the incredible performers who took to the stage to entertain us. Some of you traveled quite a distance and some of you live just next door but all of you shared your talents with us and we appreciate that. We sure like to see the dance floor full.

How about those clowns? Kazoo, Lucky and Li'l Zoo!! We sure appreciate all the hard work and preparation that goes into their performance. That Li'l Zoo (Carter McMullin from Winnipeg ) sure knows how to get the crowd going. We think it comes naturally to him and he is following in the footsteps of many family members. We sure hope you will come back next year for us.

Ashley Larsen and her friends did a terrific job of painting those many faces. Lots of funny, scary and pretty faces running around. Thank you girls for a great job and we hope to see you back next year.

A huge thank you once again to the Hodgson Family of Clanwilliam for bringing us their miniature horses. Those little Saras sure enjoyed their ride and Sara Salmon got to drive. We heard she did not want to get down. All the other little riders enjoyed them also. Thank you Ron and Gerry and Family for sharing the horses with us each year.

The Logan Express was a new addition to the Jamboree. We give special thanks to Craig and Sandra Turchinksi for arranging to bring the train to us. Thanks to the C.P.R. Logan Shops for building such a fun, safety learning experience and making it available to children. Engineer Craig sure put on a lot of miles driving those children around. We have heard he will be back next year.

The Money Mountain delighted the children again this year. A huge thank you to Boyd Robertson of the Poplar Ridge Golf Course for his donation of such clean sand. Thank you to all the many donors for the treasure buried in the mountain.

Another new addition to the Jamboree was our Saturday night live Auction. Our auctioneer Terry Woychyshyn did a great job of keeping that bidding going. Thanks to all the donors and the deep pockets of the bidders for making the Auction successful.

The Rainbow Auction and Silent Auction were once again successful. Thanks to all the donors for the great prizes.

Our Pay-What-You-Pull Raffle Ticket Sales were once again successful with three lucky winners:

Norma Kerowich - Neepawa - $100.00

Chris Dobchuk – McCreary $300.00

Donna Lach – Plumas - $500.00.

Congratulations to you and thank you to the Sellers and Buyers of the tickets.

The Dove Release was very touching and we thank all who participated. Thanks especially to Joanne and Ken Dodman of Erickson and The Sky's the Limit for donating the doves for our release. Doves were released with thanks to the past recipients of the Jamboree and to all the supporters of past Jamborees. Doves were released in memory of those who believed in the aims and goals of the Jamboree. They were also released in the hope for peace of everyone everywhere.

The Minnedosa Katimivak Group was invaluable to us. They performed each task asked of them with smiles and enthusiasm. These young people come from all parts of Canada and it is a pleasure to meet with them and work with them. We hope they took home happy memories of their time spent and people met at the Jamboree. They all said they enjoyed the delicious food and the fact that they were helping children. Kris tells us he will be back with a new group next day.

The Erickson 4H Beef Club always does a great job for us in keeping our parking lot in order. They have been doing this for about 9 or 10 years now and we have enjoyed working with many participants. Thanks to Leader Brenda Warrener for organizing the Group for us.

Thank you to the Erickson Jam Committee for providing such excellent service at the food and refreshment stand. The Food was great as usual. This Committee does so much for the Jamboree and we owe them thanks for many, many things. Thanks for the service and smiles the two days of the Jamboree plus the preparation and upkeep of the grounds. It is great to work with such a committed group of people.

Thanks also to Gail for her help and her volunteers for their upkeep and upgrades to the Erickson Camp Ground.

We would like to add a note of thanks to the past recipients, who were able to attend the Jamboree this year. It was great to see Shaun Walter, Shaun Martineau, Torie Normandin, Mackenzie Wozney and Emily Grudeski. Thank you too for selling tickets for us again this year. It is always so great to have a visit with you and your families.

Thank you to all who attended the Jamboree with this year. We always look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new people. We know word of mouth is the greatest advertising so please pass on to friends and family how much fun you have and how wonderful it feels to support children.

We hope you enjoy the website. Our pictures of 2008 Jamboree are courtesy of the Salmon and McKean families and also Dallas and Wayne and Lynda. We think they are phenomenal; maybe you will pick out someone you know as you browse through them. We would like to thank Dale Schappert of Brandon for maintaining the website for us. If anyone needs a great website designer please feel free to contact us and we will get you hooked up with Dale. Thanks Dale!!

This will most likely be the last entry on the website for 2008 but if anything comes up we will be back.

Have a great fall and winter and we will talk to you next spring.

June 10, 2008

Hi Everyone

We asked John Brashchuk, President of the Erickson Jam Committee if he would like to do a writeup of the Erickson Committee.

Our Jamboree Committee is very grateful to all the hard work that John and his committees and all the volunteers from the organizations involved have done to make the Little Valley Jamboree successful. Heres is John's writeup:

Hello,

Well I will explain the creation of the Erickson Jam committee and what we do towards the Little Valley Jamboree. When it was determined the Little Valley Jamboree was coming to Erickson, we wanted to help out in a big way. It was with much excitement that the event was coming to Erickson. Discussions with Rod revealed there was a spin off for the community from concessions and the bar. A group of dedicated volunteers was formed from each nonprofit organization within the community that wanted to participate in the Jamboree. We discussed with Rod what we could do or what was needed to help out. We knew providing a concession and bar was a starter. Many organizations joined in and many volunteers wanted to help out. After some discussion, we decided on the name, Erickson Jam Committee, an affiliate of the Little Valley Jamboree. We split into small working groups, 1 group to look after the bar, 1 group for security and 1 group for concession. We also decided that all groups had to help out with setting up the grounds (putting up the fence and gates, locating portable buildings, garbage collection and recycling and, finally, cleanup and take down. One item we wanted to deliver in was lots to eat, and clean washrooms were a necessity for success of our area of responsibility. The committee agreed that each organization had to assist in washroom duties to participate in the event. The first year everyone was nervous, not knowing what to expect and trying to do our best. Well, it went over very well, with just a few glitches, and was our learning curve year. But Rod and Eveyln were so supportive, with advice and direction, which calmed the nerves. The next year the same organizations participated. We knew what had to be done and were well prepared. It was great to be more prepared and more organized and had great leaders for all functions. Work sheets were developed for all functions. Volunteers were placed in all required time slots to accommodate all shifts, with spares for unforeseen absentees. The community came forward with full support and dedication for this worthwhile event.

After the event, all remaining stock is for sale at cost and the books are balanced. The Jam committee meets to decide what improvements are needed for next year and a budget is drawn up. Funds needed for improvements, such as kitchenette upgrades, building of a portable bar trailer, acquiring portable washrooms and any miscellaneous needs are kept on reserve. Remaining funds are distributed to participating organizations through applying to the Jam committee by letter, indicating their proposed projects and how the organization participated in the success of the Little Valley Jamboree. After all applications are received, the funds are distributed in an equal split among the applicants. Last years event provided $5400.00 to seven local area service clubs. The clubs who benefited were: Erickson Wildlife Association, Erickson Women's Institute, Erickson Fire Department, Communities in Bloom, Erickson Recreation Centre, the Skating Rink and the Lions Club. Each one of these organizations has made a difference in the community with the funding they received.

The Jam Committee is already in full swing for this year's event and looks forward to working with the Little Valley Jamboree committee (Rod and Evelyn's crew). We also are very excited with the continuation of the two-day event.

So in closing hope to see you this year

From

The Jam Committee

The C.P.R. Logan Express will be at the Little Valley Jamboree in 2008. C.P.R. Engineer Craig Turchinski and his helpers will be giving rides to children at designated times on Saturday or Sunday. This train has visited lots of Manitoba towns and we are looking forward to it coming to the Jamboree.

May 15 2008

New Website:
We hope you all like our new website as much as we do. Doesn't that music inspire you to get up and do a polka. We love our website and we thank Dale Schappert of Brandon for designing it for us. Good job Dale!!

June 21 – June 22
Just want to remind you that the Jamboree is not on Father's Day this year. We know that that was a problem for some of you so hope that we will see some new faces along with the familiar ones. We really appreciate your support, as do our recipients.

Recipients:
If you have checked out the website you will have read about our two young recipients, our two Sara girls. We hope that we can raise money to aid them and their families in their everyday challenges and some special equipment. Those of us with healthy children and grandchildren sometimes forget how fortunate we are and that others are really need some extra assistance.

Money Mountain:
Back by popular demand for all you treasure hunters. Thank you in advance to all the people who have dropped their change into our Money Mountain Jars. Thank you also to Riding Mountain National Park for their donation of our sand Mountain.

Miniature Horses:
We are happy to say also that our Miniature horses are coming back. Thanks to the Hodgson Family of Clanwilliam for bringing them for our enjoyment.

Dove Release:
Joanne Dodman of The Sky's the Limit will be bringing her doves out both Saturday or Sunday. Last year it was so windy Joanne could not release the doves, so lets hope for calm weather as the doves mean peace and remembrance to us all.

This year we will be dedicating the Jamboree to Quentin Meyers. Quentin was sponsored in 2004 at the age of 12, this past January Quentin passed away. So his Grandmother, Joan Meyers, from Carberry will be with us on Jamboree Day and will release a dove in Quentin's name.

Also, Rod lost his brother Henry Swiscoski last summer. Henry never missed a Jamboree until 2007 when he was too ill to travel from Edmonton . So we will miss Henry's support of the Jamboree and Rod will be releasing a dove in his memory.

Auctions:
We are planning a live auction Saturday night. We promise that it won't take up too much time away from the music. Sunday we will have our giant Rainbow Auction, and of course our raffle tickets and 50-50 draws.

Admission Prices:
Please plan to come for both Saturday or Sunday. Only $15.00 will give you our weekend pass for Adults, $10.00 for 17 and under 12 and under have free admittance.

If you can only make Saturday or Sunday then it will be $10.00 for Adults, under 17 - $6.00 and 12 and under free.

Times:
On Saturday we should be up and rolling by 4 pm and run till midnight . Sunday we will begin at 11 a.m. and go till 8 pm . So there will be lots of entertainment and dancing for you all.

Camping:
Thank you John Braschuk, Jam Committee President for writing us a little history of the Erickson campground. We are sure it will answer all your camping questions.

The Erickson campground is run by volunteers mostly all revenue is put back into the campground thanks to the Town and RM. You will see upgrades on a yearly basis. This past year we have graveled the road and all the full service lots and ordered 15 more picnic tables 15 more burn pits and a new gate.

We have 12 full service pull through lots with 30amp service and water and sewer. We ask to double up on the service lots to accommodate the volume of campers for Jamboree weekend.

We have unlimited non-service lots some in the trees. The campground has free wood and showers and washrooms a kitchennette and small play structure. The rates for 2008 have not changed Full service is $15 per unit and Non service is $10 per unit

No reserve camping first: come - first serve . There is an overflow camping betweenthe campground and the Jamboree grounds that we utilize with ample room for many campers.

We look forward to see all our regular Jamboree campers and also the new campers coming to the Little Valley Jamboree in Erickson Manitoba Your campground host for the Jamboree again is Gail Marcino We thank our campground committee member for her dedication to this event.

Contacts are the Town office at 636-2431 or John at 636-2638 evenings or Gail at 636-2908

Special Events:
Earlier this year the A.N.A. F. Unit # 10 in Brandon donated all their profits from their weekly meat draw to the Jamboree. This kind of support is always greatly appreciated and we thank them. Cooked and Done and their Road Crew were on hand to accept as they were performing there that evening.

On April 19 th the Town and Community of McCreary hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Supper for all their dedicated Volunteers. The Little Valley Jamboree Committee was humbled by this gesture as all proceeds were to be given to the Jamboree. We thank them immensely. A large number of the Jamboree Committee attended the supper and it was a great one. Thank you very much McCreary.

Special Donation:
On April 26 th some Committee members went to Ste. Rose,MB where they presented a check to Cayden Jeffrey Labelle who is 3 years old and was born hearing impaired. On May 6 th he was to have surgery in Toronto as he was found to be a good candidate for bilateral cochlear implants. He is the first receiver of this new surgery in Manitoba . The check was to assist his parents in traveling expenses. They have promised to keep us up to date on Caydens progress.





December 29, 2007

Well, it has taken me awhile to get back to this. Most of you will have read the papers and will already know the outcome of our 2007 Jamboree. It was very successful and we are happy to report we raised approximately $8000.00 for each child. Thank you to everyone who supported us in any way. 

Emily has received her insulin pump and it is working wonderfully. She and her parents are very happy and grateful for the pump.. It is making their lives a whole lot easier. The kids in her school think she is pretty cool wearing her pump. 

Mackenzie is still undergoing tests and visits to her Doctor in Winnipeg. She is continuing her physiotherapy, but we are still waiting for a diagnosis. Her family is also very grateful to the Jamboree and all its supporters.

The Erickson Jam Committee reported that they handed out $5400.00 to seven local area service clubs. The clubs who benefited were: Erickson Wildlife Association, Erickson Women's Institute, The Fire Department, Communities in Bloom, the Recreation Centre, the Skating Rink and the Lions Club. They are enthusiastic and planning for 2008. The Jamboree Committee are very  lucky and proud to be working with such a great group of people.

The Jamboree Committee are making their plans for 2008 also. It is never far from Rod's mind. The only thing to report at this time is the date of the 2008 Jamboree. It will be a two day event again and will be held on June 21st and 22nd one week after Father's Day. So, please mark it on your new 2008 calendar. 

It was suggested that we put the Jamboree address on the web site for people who wished to make a donation. All donations are greatly appreciated and all donors will be posted on the web site.  

Little Valley Jamboree, Box 239, Erickson, MB R0J 0P0.

We welcome any comments about last years Jamboree and if you have any suggestions for future Jamboree's please do not hesitate to contact us. We hope that everyone who helped us out last year will be willing to help us out again in 2008. Please, help us spread the word about the Little Valley Jamboree helping Kids and Communities.

July 20, 2007

One month has passed since the great day and we are still waiting on a couple of things before we can finalize. Have a meeting scheduled for early August and should have everything together at this time. so will be doing an update after that. 

June 19/2007

Well It is Tuesday already and the sun is really shining. But I am not complaining we had great weather for Saturday night and almost great for Sunday. So that's all I will say about the weather. It is a beautiful day. 

But the crowd, the people, the music, the wonderful giving and receiving of money, friendship and appreciation of life and what it has to offer to us all if we are open to it was PHENOMENAL.

Our Jamboree committee has a new word we use for everything pertaining to the Jamboree: "PHENOMENAL". Everything that happened, every new friend we made that volunteered or just said " Hi, you're doing a great job" gives us a PHENOMENAL feeling. Thanks for the word Shawnda, you are PHENOMENAL.

Meeting with so many of our special friends we have made over the years, from all parts of Manitoba was absolutely wonderful, PHENOMENAL.

We had Mackenzie Wozney and Emily Grudeski there of course and we think we are going to be able to really help them financially as we have so many generous people in this world. We trust we have given them hope and their parents, families and friends as well. And if they get discouraged at any time that they think of the Jamboree and what it means and  they will be uplifted. Because, the Jamboree does stand for hope, helping kids and bringing people together to work and play alongside each other. 

Other children to attend Cynthia Hayward, Apryl Thacker, Dean Little, Cameron Fletcher, Shaun Walter, Shaun Martineau, Michael Schell. They are all remarkable young people and we enjoyed visiting with them all.

We were all able to hear Apryl sing and play the piano. She had won the Silver Heart Award for young Performer of the Country Gospel Association the previous week and we are so proud of her, Thank you Apryl and keep on singing and playing.

Michael Schell, you chose a wonderful poem and read it so well. Thank you. We heard of your great grades and know that you will do well in the future. Congratulations and good luck.

Shaun Walter , that is a beautiful painting you did for me and I plan to hang it in my living room. I thank you very, very much. And someday maybe you and Rod can agree on which car is the best. 

Shaun Martineau you showed us what a great young man you are by donating some of  your hard earned money to Mackenzie and Emily. Thank you also for sharing your knowledge of the insulin pump with Emily and her family.

Dean Little , you are one great guy and we wish you all kinds of luck in your move to Portage. We know it is scary for you, but you are such a likeable friendly guy, you will have lots of new friends soon. And, I'll bet there is a new horse somewhere around Portage that you can meet up with.

Cynthia Hayward you have not forgotten how to dance and we are so proud of the way you face your challenges and we predict good things for you in the future.

Cameron Fletcher you keep on making your family laugh because we know you are a little joker and you are doing just fine.

The musicians did a great job as well. And the guys in the booth, Cam on Friday night and Fred and Emil on Sunday. Thanks to all of us.

Thanks to the fill in band also. I will get their names later.

Just a note here that we had someone attending from France this year, a friend of Ashley Larsen. We hope that you received a good impression of the Canadian people.  Rod apologizes for not bringing you on stage to be introduced. Ashley we wish you the best in the future.

Did everyone see the little horses from Clanwilliam. They are so cute, the only other word I would have is PHENOMENAL. I did not get a ride but they don't live that far away so maybe I will sometime this summer. We just hope lots of people did. Thank you for bringing the horses Ron and Gerry. Good luck to you in the future.

We missed the doves this year due to the wind, we sure would not have wanted them to get lost going home. We had our tribute any way to Kay Hodgson, a 10 year supporter of the Jamboree along with Ron. Also, the tribute was for everyone involved in the Jamboree for all of our 10 years and for everyone whether it be one year, two years or however many it is for them.  A tribute to all our friends and family.

How about that Erickson Jam Committee, all those people in the bar and the concession and those orange vests on the security people. They fed and watered us well and took good care of us. And the Toilet Patrol. Good job all!! A PHENOMENAL job!! Thanks to John Braschuk Jr. and all his organizers and workers. I think the whole town of Erickson and surrounding areas participated in some way. A PHENOMENAL job!

We hope that we can convey what this means to all of our committee and everyone we meet. We thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for all their support to us.

Our committee consists of

Rod Lewandoski: President
Grant Carter: Vice-President
Ruth Kaspick: Secretary-Treasurer
Charlotte Kulbacki: Board Director
Evelyn Lewandoski
Val Carter
Leonard Kaspick
Joe Kulbacki
George & Shawnda Krieser
Russ & Bonnie Andrews
Les & Joan Beverly
Linda MacDonald
Larry& Dorothy Syslak
Vic & Lana Bachewich
Tammy Levandoski
Gail Shewchuk

There are lots of people that assist us. We have prize gatherers for the auction that did a great job this year. Anyone that attended our auction would see we have prizes from all over Manitoba and donations from as far away as Calgary. We appreciate it all so much.

Our raffle ticket was PHENOMENAL this year. We always print 500 books and we came the closet ever this year with only a few books not sold. So it really is a good fundraiser for us. So that means our ticket sellers did a PHENOMENAL job and we thank each and every one of the sellers and the buyers. I will list the winners at a later date.

Well I will update further after we have a meeting. 

Thanks once again for everyone that helped and supported the Jamboree in 2007.

June16 / 2007

The big day is here and the sun is shining. Thank you Lord. We are blessed. We are blessed in so many ways. The campground has lots and lots of people, all enjoying themselves last night despite the cold, wet and mosquitoes. People are very resilient as well as generous and caring. The prizes for the auction and the money that people keep handing me are absolutely phenomenal. That's a word our committee has been using lately as we continue to be amazed with the response we see and hear from everyone we meet. 

We are so excited as some of our children are coming. Shaun Martineau arrived last night, camping with his family. His younger brother and sister can hardly wait to get to the Money Mountain. We hope to see Shaun Walter and Dean Little over the weekend and Candice Wright. A friend brought us a picture and an update on Candice last night and she is phenomenal. Devin was to have an operation yesterday so do not know if he will make it. Torie had an accident and broke her leg on Wednesday and was rushed to Children's Hospital in Winnipeg, so we probably won't see her. Cynthia is coming from Sinclair with her parents. Emily arrived with her parents and family from McCreary last night. We don't expect David due to Dr's appointments. But Cameron will be here and Michael also. Michael may read a poem for us on stage. Mackenzie will be here Sunday with her family. Quentin hopes to be here.  Apryl Dawn will be here with her Grandmother and she will be performing on stage for us. Have not heard from Deanna or Erin or Robin but there is still time. 

The sight is looking very good with the help of many, many volunteers. The people in charge of the food and refreshments were preparing and getting everything set to go. We will have our choice of lots of good things to eat. Lots of hamburgers, hot dogs, perogies and sausages and treats and beverages. There will be a good supper on Sunday night and you will be encouraged to get your tickets early for that. 

We have the Jamboree Money Mountain, a huge pile of sand donated by the Parks Canada people and lots of generous people gave their donations of change so lots of fun digging for treasure for the 10 year old and under children. Don't forget the clowns, the face painting and one kind volunteer said she would change your hair color for you. 

There will be lots of singing and music, a variety of music this year so there should be something for everyone.

Our giant auction is the biggest ever and we have lots of volunteers lined up to get that set up and we hope everyone will be patient as we are drawing the winners. We hope to close the auction to draw for winners and then all names will be posted.  

Well, almost time to get to the site. The men set up some tents last night and I have to go check out where my auction tent is. Will have to be a big one.

Don't forget the miniature horses will be arriving around noon on Sunday. Mr. Hodgson from Clanwilliam has been training some of his horses all winter so they will be fun to look at and hopefully most of you will be able to have a ride. We are all looking forward to that. Also, The Sky's the Limit will have her dove release. We thank Joanne Dodman for that. It is so meaningful and we have so many people that we could pay tribute to who have supported the Jamboree this year and the previous nine. 

Probably won't write again till after the big day on Sunday so will be looking forward to meeting everyone. 

Oh, one more thing. We received a call from the Government of Canada yesterday and we are going to receive a certificate for our 10 years of staging this event. Inky Mark our MP for Dauphin, Swan River and Marquette will be sending the congratulatory certificate. It is nice to be recognized. So anyone who has attended the Jamboree, played music on stage, or made a perogie, flipped a burger, donated a prize or has helped in any way, this honor is for all of you. This event could not have kept going without the help of many. Our children are so important to us and we should all remember then and keep working and having fun together. 

Thanks for reading my thoughts, and please feel free to give me yours.

June 15, 2007 

Well folks we are almost there. We've had a little rain but remember our motto is "Rain or Shine", and we are not going to let it dampen our spirits. The sun will come out. We have tents for shelter and we are going to be fine.

Everyone has been working very hard to get the sight ready and everything lined up. It is incredible to us how much effort everyone is putting in to the Jamboree and it is going to be great. 

Some of our past recipients are coming, some are not well and will not make it but we will welcome the ones that do come. 

Everyone say a few prayers and do some sun dances or whatever you know how to do and lets keep going and have a great time.

Please feel free to write or call if you have any questions.

See you Sunday!!!!

June 12, 2007

Did everyone see all the lightning last night and hear the thunder? That lightning was something else. So we hope, the weather has got all this nonsense out of its system and we are going to be blessed with great weather the rest of the week and Sunday will be hot and dry. 

Rod did not get a chance to tell everyone what he is planning on T.V. on Friday. He and Joan did a fine job on T.V. did they not? But, you just don't get enough time as he had meant to tell you that if we have 1500 people go through the gate on Sunday he will have his head shaved. Everyone always gives him a hard time about his long hair so this will be a big sacrifice. So Ruth and Len are going to keep close track of the people count. 

That's all the news I have now, so we just all pray for good weather and the weekend will be great.

June 8, 2007

Rod is counting the sleeps to Jamboree now. Everything is coming together. Our committee have been planning and working very hard. Special thanks to all of them. Without them the Jamboree would not happen. 

The Erickson Committee have also been preparing and working very hard. They are a well organized group and a pleasure to work with. We thank John Braschuk Jr. and all his Committee members for their great support of the Little Valley Jamboree.

Our prize collectors have been turning in the gifts to me,(Evelyn) so I can make up the signs and organize everything. People and business's are being very generous as usual. We have had some donations from afar this year from old friends and new so we are excited about all of that. We sure will be looking for all the familiar faces and eager to meet new ones. Look for the guy with the big white hat and say hello. 

Our raffle tickets are going very well this year but we will still have a few left for those who have not got any.

I know  some of the bands and the clowns are practicing so we are going to have a great show. Some of our former "special friends" have responded and are coming. Unfortunately one has Dr's appointments in Winnipeg, one is having surgery on the Friday so I know they will be unable to attend. But we are hoping for more. 

Rod and Joan, (our 26 cent lady) are going to be on T.V. today. CKX in Brandon, the Noon Show at 12.30. Joan is a little nervous but she will do fine. Rod has a special announcement to make there also. Sorry I did not let you all know sooner so you could arrange to watch or tape the show. But maybe I'll let you in on the surprise tomorrow so keep checking in with me.

Time to go now. We will talk again soon.

June 1, 2007

Not much time remaining now. Things are coming together. A few things to clear up here. We have had some calls about admission so here it is:

Admission prices: (Guess this is a repeat)

Saturday only - Adults: $10.00, Students: $6.00, Under 12 Free

Sunday only - Adults: $10.00, Students: $6.00, Under 12 Free

Weekend Pass: Adults" $15.00, Students:$10.00, Under 12 Free

If you have already read our posters we have a change to Saturday nights line-up, the More has been confirmed. It is the band "Nuthin' But Trouble " from Brandon. We are looking forward to having them entertain for us.

The Miniature Horses are coming, "The Sky's the Limit" and our Clowns are all still a go!!

Also, we are planning another Surprise for the 10 and under children. Something fun that should keep them busy all day. I think I will keep it a surprise but if you call or e-mail me I'll fill you in. 

Also, we have another surprise that I have not let you know about. I will tell you about this one. We will be having a Dance Floor. A real Dance Floor. we have some very generous donors this year and we were able to put together a dance floor for all those people who have requested it over the years. So please tell all your dancing friends, as I realize that not everyone checks the website. We are very excited about this and know you will be too.

We have had replies from some of our special children. We will be glad to see as many as possible attend. It is great to see how they have progressed over the years. Maybe I can update this a little later on when I have more confirmation on them. 

That's all for now. Don't worry. The sun will shine and we will have an absolutely wonderful day.

May 22, 2007

The countdown is on!!!! A correction to my April write up concerning the camping. Un-serviced lots are only $10.00 a night. . Sorry about that! By the way, camping is on a first come basis.

The auction prizes are coming in. As usual everyone is very generous with their cash and merchandise. Our raffle tickets are selling well but I'm sure there will be some on Jamboree day for those who haven't got any yet. 

By the way it has been raining and raining for days so I am sure it will be all rained out on The Day, guess I should says Days. I keep forgetting about Saturday night. Hope none of you do. 

That's all for now. Please e-mail me with any questions.

April 30, 2007

I have been promising myself to give you all a little bit of an update, and its raining this morning, (can't work in the garden), so here I am. I think we need a little rain though to se t tle the dust. 

The Jamboree Committee has been working hard to get things going for this special  year; our 10th Anniversary .  As you will see there will be Music beginning Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and going till 11:00 p.m. and our regular hours for Sunday , 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Rod has a great list of entertainment lined up for Sunday and we will be updating that list soon. He is working on Saturday and has not quite got that lineup filled yet but will soon. And we have a Surprise for the dancers but I will tell you about next update!!!!  Remember we go Rain or Shine .

The 2007 Special Children are Mackenzie Wozney from Minnedosa and Emily Grudeski from McCreary. You will find their profile and pictures under the Beneficiary's link. We hope that we will be able to assist them in any way that we can for whatever their particular needs are. 

We have invited our 17 special children back from previous years and we are looking forward to chatting with them. We see some quite regularly so look forward to visiting with them and all others who are able to attend.

The CLOWNS are back, Kazoo, Lucky and Lil' Zoo and Tinkles , our great face painter also. So kids practice your singing and get your dancing shoes out. Think about that special face that Tinkles can paint for you.

The Erickson Crew have been making up their menu and promise you some Great Food for both Saturday or Sunday, with a Full Meal for Sunday night's supper. 

The prizes for the Rainbow Auction are coming in, thanks to the generosity of individuals and businesses in the Westman area. Also, the Raffle Tickets sales are doing well and tickets are going fast so try to get some for yourself.

We will be having Joanne Dodman back with her Dove Release . It is always an amazing sight and so meaningful.

An added attraction this year is our Shuttle Service provided by the Manitoba Miniature Horse Club . They will be providing rides from the camp grounds to the site. We are very excited about this and know that you will be too.

Speaking of Camping there are some serviced lots and unlimited un-serviced lots at $15.00 per night. The Town of Erickson pride themselves on their campground and it is a fun place to be for the weekend. 

Admission this year: Saturday or Sunday only: Adults- $10.00, Students- $6.00, 12 and under- Free. 

A full Weekend Pass will be: Adults- $15.00, Students $10.00, 12 and under Free. There will be some advance tickets available in Erickson but you can most certainly get them at the gate. 

That's about all the info I have right now. I had e-mails last year with some questions that I hope I have answered but feel free to e-mail me if you have any other questions.

January 4, 2007 - Tenth Anniversary

We at the Little Valley Jamboree would like to wish everyone a healthy prosperous 2007. We hope you enjoyed the Christmas season and Santa was good to all.

We would like to report on the 2006 Jamboree. We were once again successful due in large part to the many, many volunteers and donors. Once again people were very generous with their time, money and merchandise. 

The Erickson Town, Chamber and all the organizations involved had a successful day also with the operation of the Canteen and the Refreshment Booth. The majority of the town contributed in some way, with their time volunteering at these two venues and merchandise for our Chinese Auction. Many spent long hours helping to prepare the site and the cleanup next day as well. The Jamboree Committee Thank everyone involved for all their efforts.

The Jamboree Committee were able to purchase the insulin pump for our recipient Shaun Martineau. Mr.Kevin Harris was instrumental and very helpful in choosing the pump which would most benefit Shaun. Mr. Harris operates Harris Pharmacy in Neepawa, MB and has been a very avid supporter of the Jamboree since its conception. Shaun began using the pump in August and as he puts it "it gives me more freedom by not having to take daily needles" as the pump supplies insulin as his body needs it. He wears the pump 24-7. The pump has an alarm which lets him know when the reservoir requires more insulin. Shaun is a very intelligent young man and is very knowledgeable about diabetes and has adapted very well to the challenges that he faces each day. In a recent interview with NACTV, in Neepawa we found out that he has aspirations of becoming a writer or a director. So, we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. In knowing Shaun the short time that we have we are confident he will reach his goals in life.

We are busy planning for 2007 Jamboree which will be held on June 17 in Erickson. There are on going discussions and meetings being held as to a possible two day event this year, as well as upgrades in the sound and accommodations.  

Some bands are booked and we have confirmation that the Manitoba Miniature Horse Association will be supplying shuttle service and we are extremely excited about that. This will add a different look to our Jamboree.

We welcome any suggestions for improvements or new ideas for the Jamboree. Hoping to hear form you!!!!

July 2, 2006 Update and results of another successful Jamboree coming soon!

Little Valley Jamboree

June 18, 2006 - 11 to 9 “Rain or Shine”

Bring your Lawn Chairs and Umbrellas (for the sun)

June 16, 2006 

I have been getting some e-mails concerning admission prices. I apologize for not having that info on the web. Two days away and we are all busy. Vancouver daughter, Alberta family and Riding Mountain niece arrived and all helping me out. Rod has his great- nephew Chad along with him giving him a hand. Brother-in-law Roy is a jack of all trades, so Rod and I have everyone busy. Looking forward to meeting as many as possible. Evelyn

Adults: $10.00 - Students: $6.00 - Children Under 12 : Free

June 7, 2006

Just a brief update. Everything is rolling along as well as to be expected. The Jamboree Committee have been working hard, moving the stage from our old site to the Erickson Fairgrounds. Plus some have been working on signs, advertising, making and selling tickets, collecting prizes and numerous other small details that have to be looked after. I believe everyone is having fun so far and there will be more to come.

The Committee have heard that the organizations who have undertaken the enormous task of the Refreshment Booth and the Food Concession have also been working hard, planning and preparing. We will let you know who they all are at a later date. I am sure there are many, many volunteers who have stepped forward to help in this venture. There will be lots of good fun, eating, drinking and visiting Jamboree Day.

I am happy to report I have had some e-mails from a distance and have invited them to come visit me at the Auction tent and also to look for the cowboy with the white hat. We would love to meet you. 

One of my e-mails asked for the time and I realized I do not have the time anywhere, so everything gets underway about 11:00 am and will go till 9:00 pm. JUNE 18th

It seems like the campground will be a popular spot. We can not take reservations, but promise that we will not turn anyone away.  Erickson is a very friendly town and if you come to camp early make sure you take a tour of our town and visit the local business's. They will have their best smiles on for you.

So don't forget your lawn chair, your hat and your dancing shoes.

SEE YOU ALL THERE- That's all for now!

Thank you to the Town of Erickson, the Chamber of Commerce and the R.M.of Clanwilliam, for presenting The Jamboree Committee with such a generous proposal and for their willingness to work together with us to make this our 9 th annual Little Valley Jamboree the best ever.

The Jamboree will be held at the Fairgrounds in Erickson. Erickson is located on  #10 Highway just south of Riding Mountain National Park. 

We had eight great years at our previous location in Polonia.We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the Jamboree. Without the support and generosity of the volunteers and donors this function would not be possible. Again we would like to thank everyone who worked, donated, attended and helped in any way. We look forward to your support at our new location.

Special thanks to all the musicians and entertainers who have and will continue to volunteer their time and talent for us. Some traveled long distances to help us out, and we greatly appreciate that.

This year's Jamboree is dedicated to the late Clare Larson of Erickson and the late John Levandoski of Riding Mountain. They were both avid supporters of the Jamboree and will be sorely missed.

This year we are sponsoring Shaun Martineau. Shaun lives just outside of Eden MB. and attends school in Neepawa. Shaun was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile diabetes. A device called an insulin pump would eliminate the use of multiple needles Shaun requires daily and would greatly improve Shaun's quality of life. We hope to assist Shaun in purchasing this expensive device.

This year we are only sponsoring one young person. The split that would normally go to another individual will be put aside for next year. 2007 will be our 10th Anniversary and we are planning to make it a major function, possibly even a two day event. So the Committee welcome any ideas or suggestions from anyone. 

The bands booked so far, for music all day from 11am to 9pm are Dagnabbits, Smokey Hollow, Cooked and Done and the Crew, Owen Sellman, Blue Country, North of the Border and Brenda Rogers. We will be updating as we go.

The Clowns are back:   Lucky and Kazoo and our famous face painter Tinkles. We also have a brand new clown and his name is Lil' Zoo . We are looking forward to all the fun they have planned.Erickson Campground is a great place to camp. There are some serviced and un-serviced camp-sites. There will be a reasonable camping charge. Camping spots will be on a first come, first served basis. The Campground has shower and toilet facilities. 

There will be food and beverages available on site, the concessions being operated by non-profit service clubs. 

Sunday morning, June 18th the Erickson Flying Club will be hosting their annual Fly-In Breakfast, located within walking distance of the campground. Enjoy breakfast from 8am to 11am.

The Jamboree Committee is looking forward to working with the Town of Erickson, the Chamber of Commerce and the R.M. of Clanwilliam and all the volunteers and donors who contribute their time and efforts. We are totally impressed with the response we have received in regards to moving to our new location.

We look forward to seeing all the familiar faces and welcome many, many new faces to our family of supporters.  

July 2005

Jamboree #8 was a huge success. We had great weather, no rain and lots of sunshine. We'd like to give special thanks to the person in charge of that department.

We also had great music with many wonderful talented musicians, from near and far donating their time to give us some great listening and dancing pleasure. Thanks to all of them.

Our clowns were fun this year and really entertained the younger crowd, lots of music and laughs. We had a new clown, Tinkles, this year from Brandon who specializes in face painting so there were lots of weird looking characters around. There were some pretty faces also and some people got their hair dyed again.

There was lots of action around the auction tent, many, many prizes from big-hearted business's, friends and family members. The cash donations were very very generous.

Rod and Evelyn were overwhelmed when Thelma and Hector Robinson of Winnipeg and Dorothy and Larry Syslak of Clanwilliam presented Rod with an enlarged picture of him, which all the special children had autographed. Dorothy had tricked Evelyn by saying she should have all the children's names on the Website as the Website was not started until after the third or fourth year. So she put them all on there and that way they knew where to find everyone. They traveled to all the children's homes and had them sign the picture. Rod won the Premiers Award for his work with all the children and he was honored to accept the picture from Thelma, Hector, Dorothy and Larry and all the children.

The best part of all was that we were able to present Dean and Shaun, our special young men, with checks each for $6200.00. They and their families were very, very grateful. We also have to thank the boys and their families, friends and school pals, for collecting prizes and selling books and books of tickets. When everyone works together it is amazing what can be accomplished.

We are looking forward to #9. Keep checking in for updates.

June 4, 2005 

We hope you  have June 19  marked on your calendar to attend the 8th annual Little Valley Jamboree. We are looking forward to meeting new people and visiting with our faithful attendees. We are saying a few prayers (lots, actually) to the big guy upstairs and  the weatherman to give us the most beautiful day yet. We promise to bring you some great entertainment, some return favorites and some new bands. There will be a few surprises through out the day also. 

My sister (younger sister) and a loyal Jamboree volunteer and donor asked me why I did not have all the names of all our Special Jamboree Kids listed. Well the Web Site did not start till 2002. Anyway, I am going to list the names and speak to my Webmaster Dany Hamel about getting some pictures of  the children from the past posted.

J amboree's Special Children

1998 - Candice Wright - Ken & Kathy - Minnedosa

1998 - Apryl Dawn Thacker - Cindy & Curtis - Portage La Prairie 

1999 --Cameron Grudeski-Fletcher - Jodi & Sean - McCreary

1999 - Deanna Ng - Sandra - Minnedosa

2000 - Michael Schell - Martha & Richard - Eden

2000 - David Valois- Lorraine - Neepawa

2001 - Robin McCarthy - Trudy & Francis - Neepawa

2001 -Elizabeth Erin Fehr - Jenn & Curtis - Plumas

2002 - Candice Wright - Ken & Kathy - Minnedosa

2002 - Cameron Grudeski Fletcher - Jodi & Sean - McCreary

2003 - Cynthia Hayward - Lloyd & Crystal - Sinclair

2003 - Torie Normandin - Susie & D'Arcy - Ste. Rose

2004 - Quentin Meyers - Judy - Carberry

2004- Devin Slyziuk - Murray & Connie, Brookdale

2005 - Shaun Walter - Kim, - Russell

2005 -Dean Little - Brian & Karen - Minnedosa

There they all are and what special, courageous, unique children they are. Each one has his or her personal medical situation that they deal with each and every day. We admire their courage and their ability to smile and be happy, in spite of all their obstacles. We feel honored to have the privilege of knowing them and their parents. We could all learn something from them. 

We will have a scrapbook with pictures and write ups of each of the children at the Auction Tent if you would like to see it. 

Bring your lawn chair and your umbrella ( in case the sun is really, really hot )and lets make this one the biggest one ever. See you all there.

P.S. By the way Rod and I would appreciate hearing from you via e-mail. Evelyn

March 1, 2005

Our 7th Annual Jamboree on June 20th, 2004 was another successful year for us. The weather cooperated for most of the day with only the one short shower. We had great music all day and everyone had a great time. Our clowns were a great hit for all the younger children and they will be back in 2005. We were pleased to present each of our children, Quentin Meyers from Carberry and Devin Slysiuk from Brookdale with checks amounting to $5552.45 each. The Cooked and Done crew presented a gift of money that they had raised over the year at different functions to each of the boys. George, Russ, their families and friends work very hard all year long to raise money in many different ways. All in all it was a most successful day. As usual it would not be possible without the help and support of all the wonderful donors of cash and prizes and services. Our musicians and volunteers are among the best of the best. We thank each and everyone of them.

We will be back at a later date to fill you in on this year's recipients, the bands we are busy lining up. Don't forget to mark June 19th on your calendar. Bring Dad to the Little Valley Jamboree for Father's Day.

SPRING 2004 NEWS Jamboree 2003 was a huge success. The weather cooperated, the people came, the music was great, and Dean Gunnarson awesome. Polonia perogies were the best they had ever been. We would like to thank the surrounding Radio, T.V. and Newspapers for their great effort in promoting the Jamboree. We also have to give special mention to the Erickson 4H Beef Club for looking after our parking lot.  To all the donors of cash, prizes and service we wish to thank you all. Without the many volunteers we could not have made it. Thanks to all of them.  There is not enough room and time to list everyone and your contribution but you know who you are and what you did so give yourself a pat on the back. Your contribution will make a difference in someone's life and most important of all to your own. Our first Jamboree was very rainy and wet and each year it has been improving. The powers that be are finally remembering, “ hey its Jamboree Day in Polonia. Lets make the sun shine on the people there that day, the third Sunday in June!” As I said earlier the music was great. The musicians that performed gave their all to entertain the crowd, and they gave it from the generosity of their hearts. They are amazing and we thank them. Dean Gunnarson had everyone laughing and in suspense as he performed his magic for us all. Our chairman Rod is still trying to figure out that rope trick. Dean comes form Onanole, Mb and we are very proud to have such a distinguished and world famous personality hail from our part of the woods. We thank him for contributing his talents to our fundraising event. Special thanks goes to that amazing duo, “Cooked And Done” and “Look Music” from Brandon.  They help us out in the days leading up to the Jamboree selling tickets and gathering auction prizes. Cooked and Done are great ambassadors for the Jamboree. Wherever they perform through out the year they advertise for us. Last year they and their crew helped all day long in the bar, sold the 50-50 tickets, ran the kissing booth, and, got the crowd up singing and dancing during their performance. Thanks George and Russ and all your crew. Another interesting and heartwarming story involves Tunie Topinka (she turned 85 last year), and the Carillon Ladies of Hobbs Manor in Brandon. These ladies save “pennies” and they get everyone they know to save pennies. They even have a whole day at Hobbs Manor when they have a “penny drive”. Each year they give $35.00 (used to be $25.00) to a needy child. Last year they had a $35.00 check for Torie and one for Cynthia. Tunie urged me to ask people to save their pennies, so if anyone wants to join these ladies in the spirit of giving we would be most grateful for any donations. We hope everyone was well fed. We apologize for the lineup, but, hey you can visit with your neighbor and you can always hear the music, so shake a leg a little and it won't seem like such a long wait. Cynthia Hayward from Sinclair, Mb and Torie Normandin from Ste. Rose, Mb were each presented with checks for $5848.57. This money will be used to buy much needed equipment, treatments and their special needs. We know we have made a difference in their lives. We thank the families and friends of these two young ladies for all their help selling tickets, gathering prizes and volunteering on the day of the Jamboree. Last but not least, we thank Dany Hamel of Hamel Computers, Minnedosa for this Web Site. Plans are underway for the Seventh Annual and we hope you will mark June 20th on your calendar and come join us again. And for those of you who have never been, well its time. You will be most welcome. Maybe you would like to contribute in some way to our Jamboree. May 29, 2002 Hi! Its time to bring everyone up to date with the plans for the Jamboree. Our biggest news is that we are building a stage, a permanent stage. The last four years we have been fortunate enough to have a flat bed donated to us by Ken Beatty of Onanole.  Last year a big wind came up and almost tore our tarp off, narrowly missing the band members who were performing. So, our club members have been busy looking for donations of lumber. Grant Carter, from the Home Hardware Building Center in Erickson has been most generous. Grant even built a model of the stage, which is just great.  Quite a number of club members and volunteers were busy last night and now they are ready for the floor. The R.M. of Rosedale and Rob Smith's Backhoe Service have also contributed. The Little Valley Jamboree committee appreciate all the help, the volunteers give us with donations and their time which is such a valuable commodity today. Thanks to all. We will try to keep you up to date with other news. Cathy, our chief cook and bottle washer has called the members to come to make perogies next week. Rod has been to CKLQ and Star FM and they will be doing some advertising for us and giving out some complimentary passes. Also, Rod will be appearing on Midday the noon show from CKX, on June 17 at noon. So tune in to that. We already have some donors who deserve mention.  Candace's Aunt Betty sent us a donation. She is sorry she can not attend the Jamboree, but wanted to contribute.  Mona Lewandoski from St. Michaels's Academy of Brandon sent us a donation  Dorothy Levandoski of Brandon also sent us a donation. The Dauphin Veterinary Clinic sent us a most generous donation.  Just got a call from Prairie Concrete in Minnedosa for a donation. Thanks to all of these people. We will try to get all donor's names on as we go along. Let us know if we have forgotten you or anyone. A special thanks to Dany Hamel of Minnedosa and Hamel Computers for setting up this web site for us. Dany knows everything there is about computers, so if you have any computer problems drop in and see him or his capable staff. Another band name has been added to our list, Brothers of the Road will be performing for us. These musicians all hail from the Polonia area, so they will be sure to put on a good show for us. We also want to tell everyone that there is free camping available at the Jamboree site so if you have a camper or motor home come the night before and camp out. You will be there bright and early Sunday morning for all the fun. Just to let you know there are no services available, just a place to set - up camp. There will be port-a-potties on the Jamboree site itself but not the campground. It is not far away though. Please be sure to bring your lawn chairs to sit and enjoy the music. Our Polonia Club President, Joe Miscavish or his wife Darlene would be glad to answer any questions you may have if Rod or I are not available. His # is 966-3359. Maybe we should mention that adult ticket costs are $10.00 each, children under 12 free and the cost for 12-17 is $6.00 for a whole day of entertainment. Tickets are available by calling the numbers or at the Clanwilliam General Store. We will let you know what other outlets soon, or at the gate.