Red Rock, Stone Creek hosting reunion

Two small communities just outside of Prince George are holding a reunion for anyone who ever lived there.

Organizers of the event are calling all Red Rock and Stone Creek residents and former residents to a party at the Roll-ADome, Aug. 3 to 5.

“The joke is we were a bunch of rockers from Red Rock and a bunch of stoners from Stone Creek,” Patricia Wenger, one of the organizers, laughed.

Wenger, who lived in Red Rock from when she was three years old until she turned 18, said she and some of her friends got together and quickly realized that many of the former residents were passing away as time went on and they decided they needed to do something for the surviving residents to come together and enjoy each other’s company before it was too late, she said.

“We decided that we needed to have a little gathering before too many more people are gone,” Wenger said, who thought there might be about 40 people going for dinner one night but was pleasantly surprised.

The Red Rock/Stone Creek Reunion Facebook page has more than 300 people who have joined the group and it looks like that many people are expected to attend the event.

“It’s totally blown up and it’s just great,” Wenger said.

Organizers thought they’d better make sure they could accommodate everyone and rented the Roll-A-Dome.

On Aug. 3, there will be a meet and greet.

“And the Stone Creek gang are putting on a barbecue,” Wenger said, who now lives in Salmon Valley.

“On Saturday we’re having a banquet and dance and we have Rick Stavely performing that night and we’re really happy about that. On Sunday morning we’re going to have a pancake breakfast and since it’s our last day we were thinking of holding some tours of Red Rock and Stone Creek and just have a chance to say our goodbyes and send people on their way.”

Wenger said people are coming from as far away as Los Angeles, while others are crossing the country from Ontario for the event.

Growing up in Red Rock was classic small-town living.

“Everybody’s door was open and all the parents were the boss,” Wenger laughed.

“If you were out and about and getting into some trouble and one mother got after you, your mother would get after you when you got home. We had the creek to swim in and the creek to skate on and then we got the Roll-ADome out at Red Rock and that was the gathering place for so many people for so many years. There was dances, there was roller skating every weekend. It was just a great place to hang out together.”

Besides Wenger the organizing committee includes Anna Walker-Barnes formerly from Stone Creek, Elaine Durau formerly from Red Rock, Manfred Durau, who was from both Stone Creek and Red Rock, Twyla Beetlestone from Red Rock, Betty Windley who was from Red Rock and Anne Duex from Stone Creek.

“We’ve been working very hard on this,” Wenger added. The group started the project more than a year ago.

Because organizers are trying to keep the costs down for everyone, they are making some fundraising efforts, including a pub night, a bulbs and seeds sale as well as a raffle for cold, hard cash.

“We’re still looking for former residents of Red Rock and Stone Creek to come to the reunion,” Wenger said. “The great thing about putting on an event like this is that I’ve chatted with people who I haven’t talked to in 50 years. It’s been really great and we’d sure like help to get the word out to as many people as we can. We’re so looking forward to this. People are getting so excited about it.”

For more information join the group on Facebook called Red Rock/Stone Creek Reunion or call Wenger at 250-971-2410.