Merrill Dunes
The Merrill / Moon Lake Voluntary Fire Response fund raiser takes place this coming
Sunday (19th). Anyone can sign up. Basically it is a low cost "Walk-On". (See History Note at page bottom)
Merrill Dunes will put on an Action Tag event on Oct 19, Sunday, at 1:30pm with a player cap of 30 players - so far, response has not been good, so don't worry about space. Actual active play time is 2 hours. The player price is the low price we charge for large groups, and ALL the money will go directly to the Fire Department bank account. The event has the potential to be a multi-facet winner in that it will provide funding to strengthen the fire response team, will provide a wonderful opportunity for community members to mix in an environment that is a powerful team builder, and I am hoping the fire boys will strut some of their equipment and let children put out some dramatic "bale and smoke bomb" controlled blazes. Visibility for the fire department is important and a bit of showmanship will help acreage owners to appreciate the service these folks are providing! (Note: if you know a local kid age 9 to 14 who would like to play but is limited by funding, a local donor has provided funds to let several players attend at no personal cost! - call 306-280-4100 and let us know.)
Our Action Tag formula is, as far as we are aware, unique, here and everywhere. Much of our game equipment has been built in our own shop, backed by close to 30 years of experience. There are few activities that are so age and gender neutral. We know that mixed groups and intergenerational groups invariably are happy "Happenings"! Individuals hit the exit as bubbling enthusiasts who are now much closer friends with everyone else who was in attendance.
Here is how you snag one or more of the 30 spots. Etransfer $35 per player to the Merrill / Moon Lake Voluntary Fire Department bank account via their direct deposit email MMLVFire@gmail.com. Be sure to include a note giving the contributors name, a text accepting cell phone number, and the names of the players who are covered by the payment OR simply come and pay cash/cash on the spot and you are in the show!
You won't get a receipt and neither will Merrill Dunes. The Action Tag experience is your payment. You won't get a refund as offering such would create a costly book keeping and paper nightmare. In the event of a weather disaster, we will try to reschedule quickly but at worst, given the lateness in the season, we might be forced to delay till spring. If your original player nominee can't make it, simply call Merrill Dunes and make a substitution. This is a community fund raiser and the funds will be used immediately and over the winter to bolster the fire department equipment inventory. Some people, are not concerned about laser tag nor the fund raiser and have simply contributed directly to the Fire Dept fund - mission accomplished!
The action tag field is on sand and we are in a dry belt south of the city. Further, the forest area has a big effect on wind, so we have a lot of weather resilience. Action Tag is a massive heat generator so a cool day is preferable to heat. The central staging zone is totally sheltered and a wood stove and small heated lounge will be available if needed. The Environment Cda forecast looks good for the 19th. Plus 9 (totally fine) degrees at last check!
Scan the videos and photos of events at Merrill Dunes. Note the body English and animated expressions. Bring a water bottle - and have layers you can peel! If you participate, you will be impressed. And if you simply attend and observe, you will be animated by the energy that you will see being generated. For the elderly, just being a spectator and seeing children and grandchildren in action, will crank your clock back several years! Feel free to bring lunch and drinks.
The scroller tells you what it is like to play at Merrill Dunes. Notice the wild age variations and the mix of ages. Notice the expressions on the players' faces and their body English. Visualize yourself in the mix! There have been and will be a lot of good times at Merrill Dunes! The Fun/Fund Raiser will be an Addition!
PDF Poster for Event
History: The Merrill-Moon Lake Voluntary Fire Initiative was started in the early 2000s. Robert Stonehouse, who has fought area fires for ever, was the initial push. When Rob was in Grade 4 at Merrill School, he, along with other boys were drafted to fight a grass fire - the tools provided were milk cans filled with water, gunny sacks, and shovels. The late Lorne Johnson, Rick Dixon, the late Vince Keindel, and Vlad Sopuck were players who were involved in outfitting six fire trailers built on old sprayer frames, fitted with a water tank and with a gas powered pump. The goal was to have a local, quick response system. A call system, linked in with the local crime watch was organized. Unfortunately the covid reaction brought an end to activity, however in recent times, Ed Keindel, Vince's son, has fired things up again. Once again there is a call system in place and effort is being made to get all the equipment organized and into "ready to use / rapid deployment condition". I believe the RM has kicked in some funding. The laser tag fund raiser is a small booster for the established system.
When the first fire trailers were being build in Rick Dixon's shop, a fire occurred at Moon Lake Golf Course and away the guys went and put out the fire before it could get to two float planes anchored near by. No other fire fighters showed up. Rick pointed out that the volunteers may not be trained firemen but the locals can usually get there first and when there is no one else, even amateurs are appreciated - especially if they have a water tank and sprayer! Rob points out that city fire crews must put a priority on city fires and there are situations where city and other official fire crews are simply not available to help. He has seen MANY quite dramatic fire events, some quite hair raising, and many that were snuffed before they became dramatic. One local made an immediate $500 contribution to the cause shortly after the volunteers saved his storage seacan from certain destruction. In that situation, city fire trucks were busy containing the larger fire.
Six, simple, but effective fire wagons were constructed on the cheap, in the early 2000s, by the voluntary fire response group. Equally important, a phone network was organized so any local resident could make a phone call and trigger a notification system that would tap at least one of the fire wagon custodians. Quite a brilliant, flexible, local initiative! Covid response shut things down - but the system is currently being revived and upgraded significantly. One of those things that can be ignored until you need it!
In a world of public dollars suddenly popping up on a whim and a finger snap, the Voluntary Fire initiative has been built on sweat, a shoe string, and old time neighbourly concern. Rob and Dirk Stonehouse have done more than their share. Rob has a large truck and bulk tank / pump unit on the ready and the impressive old Fargo Fire Truck (2000 original miles) could be available if minimal funding was dedicated to repairing the minor but vital issue of "no brakes".
As stated elsewhere, if you have no interest in laser tag but do live in the area and do appreciate that dry, windy days, and fluke circumstances can create a sudden horror scene - contributions can be made directly to the Fire Protection Initiative, and those funds will support a going and proven service - not a speculative dream.
