First
Weekend in June - June 4th - 7th, 2009
Message from the 2008 Ambassador - Andrew Kerstens
updated: April 22, 2009
Andrew with Beverly Mahood - OAAS Convention 2009
Welcome
new, returning and hopefully soon-to-be fair-goers! My name is Andrew
Kerstens and I am proudly the 2008 Brooklin Spring Fair Ambassador. As the
ambassador it is my duty to promote agriculture, the Brooklin community,
and, most importantly, the Brooklin Spring Fair wherever I go. To be
granted this duty is a profound honour because the Brooklin Spring Fair,
as I will tell anyone, is undoubtedly one of the foremost, agricultural
fairs in Ontario. Truly, the Brooklin Spring Fair has been a cornerstone
of the Brooklin community for 98 years, bringing people, from the
community we all love, together every year for that first weekend in June.
As
the 2008 Ambassador, I was able to experience the fair from a whole new
perspective. Whether this perspective was walking throughout the midway,
watching from inside the demolition derby ring, or on the back of a
chariot racing around the track, I had the opportunity to meet new and
exciting people and enjoy all the things the fair has to offer. Like many
ambassadors before me, my most memorable moment was being crowned (or in
my case ‘stetsoned’) at the opening ceremonies. To stand in front of family
and friends and be named the Ambassador was a great honour. This honour
continued throughout the weekend as I was able to participate in the great
variety of things the fair offers, including the baby show, demolition
derbies, dairy competitions, the parade, the pie-eating contest, and the
list goes on and on. Throughout the year I was able to represent the fair
not only at fair functions, but at events such as the Whitby Seniors
Center Pig Roast, the Whitby Santa Clause Parade, the Markham Fair, and
the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies Convention in Toronto.
The OAAS Convention was particularly memorable for me as I was able to
meet people from other fair boards, a few celebrities, and Ambassadors
from all over Ontario. Overall, my experiences and memories made as 2008
Brooklin Spring Fair Ambassador will remain with me for the rest of my
life.
For
giving me this amazing opportunity, there are a few people I would like to
thank. First
of all, I would like to thank all those that generously sponsor the fair,
especially those who
sponsor the Ambassador competition. Second, I would like to thank my
family, particularly my Dad “Papa Smurf” who
was my chaperone, and friends who encouraged, cheered for and aided me
throughout the competition and throughout the year. Third, I would like to
thank Miranda and Kathy Bryers for
contributing immeasurable effort in organizing the ambassador competition,
and who are my coaches and friends. Next, I would like to thank the
Brooklin Spring Fair President, Marilyn Hill, who serves as a leader for
both me and the fair board, and Michelle Ratte, who has been an invaluable
point of reference and an interim “chaperone.” Finally, I would like
to thank the Brooklin Spring Fair Board as a whole. Getting to know you
all throughout the year, through some experiences more modest than others,
has been
truly an experience I will never forget. This experience has opened my
eyes to the immeasurable amount of work required to put on a fair as
successful as we are privileged to in Brooklin. I would like to thank you
for giving so much of yourselves, not only this year, but all the years I
have been attending the fair. Thank you again, and I hope I can do you the
honour of making you proud in representing the Brooklin Spring Fair, and
the Brooklin community, at the CNE in August 2009.
Enjoy
the fair!
Andrew
Kerstens
2008 Brooklin Spring Fair Ambassador
Contact
Us
Brooklin Spring Fair P.O.
Box 615 Brooklin, ON L1M 1B5
Telephone 905-655-7093 Fax 905-655-7094
secretary@brooklinspringfair.com