Douro Doings raffling off 21 quilts
DOURO--Monday is Labour Day, or the day the Douro Doings are held, depending on where you’re from.
The Douro Doings are an annual tradition in the county that started in 1929. With the exception of a hiatus during the Second World War, it has run every year.
The event is organized by the Women’s Catholic League of St. Joseph’s Parish Hall as a fundraiser for the St. Joseph’s Church in Douro.
It’s a day filled with family activities at Douro Park, followed by a roast beef dinner, live music and quilt raffle at of St. Joseph’s Parish Hallon County Road 8.
Barbara Vol le ring, league member, has helped co-ordinator the Doings for 50 years.
She and the other members start prepping for the event in January. That’ s two months after quilting gets underway for the quilt raffle.
Each year, 20 hand-stitched quilts are raffled off using “The Wheel .”
“The Wheel” was named after The Wheel of Fortunate, which decides the fate of the lucky quilt winners.
This year, there are 21 quilts. A special red-and-white quilt was made to honour Canada’s 150th birthday.
Though the event takes months of planning and preparation, Vol le ring said the workload doesn’t take the joy out of the affair. She still looks forward to it every year.
More than 200 volunteers pitch in for the event, making it a social behind the social.
And it’s a family affair that draws residents back year after year.
“It’s generation after generation out in the field and here for supper ,” Vollering, standing outside the hall Wednesday.
Activities start at the park Monday at 9 a.m.
There’s a horseshoe tournament, kids’ games, tug-of-wars, a 10-kilo- metre run, an antique cars how and a frog-jumping contest. A baseball and slo-p it ch tournament runs throughout the weekend, too.
The roast beef dinner runs from 3 to 6 p.m ., followed by the raffle from 6 to 9 p.m.
Tickets for dinner are $14 and can be purchased at the door.