For 10 years Trevor Denis has been a volunteer organizer behind the scenes for the Grande Prairie Stompede.
Denis has held positions such as grand entry director, beer garden director and has worked in the VIP area. For the previous two years he served as vice-president.
Last week, Denis was named president of the Stompede at the Annual General Meeting. He takes the position over from Terri Sudnik, who held the position for six years.
“It’s always good to be acknowledged amongst your peers. It’s good to be elected in,” said Denis.
“I’m really happy to have the team that I have to work with this year. I think they’re fantastic. I’m looking forward to it. We have a good group of people and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Sudnik was the event’s longest serving president.
“(Terri taught) a number of things. She was a heck of a president for being in there for six years. There is a lot of government funding and things like that you have to think outside the box to help fund our show and the western way of life,” noted Denis.
Denis, who becomes the 19th president of the Stompede, doesn’t believe the event needs any major changes.
“I think we have a formula there that seems to be working. I think the show’s going to grow, not only in the capacity with the event itself, but the people that partake,” he said.
“(The Stompede) has grown considerably. I was born and raised here, so when it was over at the water towers (on the north-east side of the city) and then when it moved out to Evergreen Park, it’s grown considerably with our midway and helping out Evergreen Park and growing that facility as well, it’s only benefited us.”
Planning is well underway for the 2018 event, noted Denis.
He said organizers are planning to have most of the show’s bookings finalized by the end of 2017. The focus, he noted, will then shift to applying for government grants early in 2018. He said there are a few grants they’re hoping to receive that will help the Stompede “become more sustainable”.
The 2018 Stompede goes May 30 to June 3.