Highland Games Back for 2012

Highland Games Back for 2012

Mark your calendars – the Hororata Highland Games are back for another year and are right around the corner! After a highly successful inaugural event last year, the small Canterbury town is gearing up to host the Games again on Saturday 10th November, and it promises to be even bigger and better this time around.

The Games will be a traditional Scottish Highland games with a unique Kiwi twist. Highlights of the games include highland dancing, solo piping and drumming, pipe bands, heavy (strongmen/women) events including caber tossing, hammer throw, sheep shearingdemonstrations, scurry racing, a dedicated children’s glen, and the very popular Tug-O-War.

A new addition to the Games this year is the Taste of Scotland section, which will boast traditional Scottish fare, cooking demonstrations, whisky tasting and much more. Also introduced as events for anyone to enter are the Kilted Mile, Farmers Walk (carrying heavy weights the furthest) and a Junior Tartan Warrior event. All the proceeds from the day will be put back into the community to benefit the rebuild projects in the district.

The Games are an initiative of the Hororata Community Trust. The Trust was established to support the community through fundraising activities and help the town rebuild after the September 2010 earthquake left many facilities damaged. Important to this fundraising event is the Trust’s goal to provide the town with a “hand up rather than hand out.”

Mark Stewart, Director of the Hororata Community Trust, can’t believe it’s been a year since the first Games and can’t wait to see the event grow even more this time around.

“Once again our amazing community has come together to organise this unique event. The Games provide the people of Canterbury with a great opportunity to get together with family and friends and experience a bit ofScottish fun and frivolity.”

Moneys raised as a result of the Trust’s fundraising activities, such as the Highland Games, have been used for a $12,000 improvement to the Hororata Domain and a $4000 grant to each of the 3 schools in the Hororata district - Hororata, Windwhistle and Glentunnel Schools.

The Hororata Highland Games will be held on Saturday 10 November from 9am at the Hororata Domain. Tickets are available from Selwyn libraries, Ticket Direct or from gate sales at the event, with pricing options to suit all budgets.
ENDS.

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