Proud to be a part of Stampede
Ken Forbes has volunteered 57 years with annual event
Fifty-seven years is a long time to commit to anything.
For Hatter Ken Forbes, 57 years is the amount of time he has spent volunteering with the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede. He says, like any other volunteer, it started as a way of just helping out where he could.
“It all started because of St. John’s Ambulance in 1960,” he said. “There was no men’s division at the time, and the women’s was very active. So we decided to help out because the Stampede was in a big need of medical help. So for about 57 years I’ve been helping out here, helping out with people in wheelchairs and with the Pioneer Village.”
Forbes says the Stampede grounds, while great, can still be a bit tricky for people who use wheelchairs.
“The Stampede grounds can be a bit tough on people in wheel chairs because of the dirt, so we try and help them as much as possible,” he said. “Whether they need help moving around the grounds, getting home or just getting to shade that might be hard to get to — we try and do what we can for them.”
While he wears multiple hats around the Stampede, Forbes says he just loves to give back to the city he has spent his entire life in.
“I love it all,” he said. “The city has been just great to me. I’ve been here all my life, and just to be able to give back to the city I spent my whole life in is really great to me — it’s really fun, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Part of what keeps Forbes coming back is the team of volunteers that make each Stampede possible, a team he is incredibly proud to be a part of.
“I think there’s about 500 volunteers here, and there’s some great people,” he said. “The team we have every year is just great, and there’s always other people to come and help you out.”
The 80-year-old Forbes says he cannot just pick one favourite part about Stampede.
“Wow, there’s just so many great things,” he said. “There’s so many great things going on every year, and so many great people to talk to every year. I just love it all.”
Forbes says there’s no plans to stop volunteering, but does want to ease the load a bit in the coming years.
“In three years, I guess that makes 60,” he said. “Once I hit 60, I’m going to think about a few less things, but I will still be volunteering. Giving myself a bit of a break will be good, but I don’t want to stop completely.”