The success of past Vanderhoof air shows has been acknowledged and its future success supported by the provincial government in the form of a large cheque.
Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad presented air show officials with a $25,000 cash infusion.
"We really want to thank our Liberal government for coming to the past couple of events, seeing the thousands of people who attended, and understanding how important this event is for the Vanderhoof region," said air show society member David Fehr on behalf of a contingent of other volunteers gathered at the BID Group Hangar on Wednesday at the Vanderhoof Municipal Airport. "We appreciate all the hard work John did to bring the message to Victoria and convince his colleagues that this is a good investment, and it makes business sense."
The Vanderhoof Airshow, once an international event for aerophiles, had been dormant for 18 years but a resurgence in volunteer efforts and a thirst from audiences have brought the engines roaring back to life in the past two summers, bringing new dollars into the local economy.
It has also brought a familiar old feeling of pride to a town that has played a large role in B.C.'s aviation history.
"Everybody's back into it," said Fehr. "The air show used to be part of Vanderhoof's brand. We will see if we can bring that back to life again. So far, the indications are very strong."
In addition to large audiences and an aviation community lining up to be part of the performances in the air and static displays on the ground, the event has already been a big help to other not-for-profit organizations. Causes like Cops For Cancer, Search and Rescue, the Vanderhoof Farmers' Market, the school district's music program, and many others have benefited from money or exposure obtained in partnership with the main event.
The $25,000 for operational funding "takes a big load off the organizers' minds to know that important cushion is there all in one fell swoop," said Fehr, but he expects other potential investors will now have even greater confidence in the event and will support it with their dollars.
The 2014 edition of the Vanderhoof air show happens Aug. 8 and 9.
For more information call the Vanderhoof Chamber of Commerce at 250-567-2124.
