Ross Wells Ball Park will be rockin’ and rollin’ in August as several bands will jam out during a fundraiser to support the physical and mental health of students.
River Street Promotions approached city hall about hosting an outdoor concert called Homestead ’21 at the ballpark on Saturday, Aug. 28. The group is a not-for-profit organization formed to connect audiences with entertainers while raising money to support its partners’ efforts to provide and promote mental health care, education and awareness initiatives.
Two partners include Prairie South School Division and Holy Trinity Catholic School Division.
The organization expects about 1,000 to 1,500 people to attend. River Street Promotions expects the event to start at 2 p.m. and end around 11 p.m. Alcohol will be served during the concert, while several area streets — Caribou Street East, Ross Crescent and Third Avenue Northeast — will be partially closed to accommodate food trucks and pedestrian traffic.
The bands include Barney Bentall & The Cariboo Express, Dustin Bentall, JJ Shiplett, Nice Horse, and Kacy & Clayton. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, July 20 and can be purchased at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre.
During the July 12 executive committee meeting, city council voted unanimously to receive and file the report.
Seventy-five per cent of the proceeds will support the mental health initiatives, while 25 per cent will help with upgrades at the ballpark in exchange for city hall providing garbage cans, Scott Osmachenko, recreation services manager, said during the meeting.
Since Ross Wells Ball Park is one of six city venues that allows for alcohol, the parks and recreation department is working with event organizers to ensure all Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Association (SLGA) conditions are met before it approves the application, he continued. Organizers must also notify all area businesses and residents about the potential for excessive noise.
Municipal bylaws state that outdoor public events that produce noise can do so from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with permission required for anything outside those hours.
Organizers have held a walkthrough at the ballpark with the fire department and police service, so the emergency and protective agencies understand what will be happening, Osmachenko said.
The group agreed to install additional emergency exits to accommodate the projected attendee numbers and to provide event details to the police, while it also plans to have medical personnel and an ambulance on site.
“We’re very excited about this project and having this concert, and what the resources will do not only for mental health but also for Ross Wells ballpark,” he added.
After nearly 16 months of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, to hold a concert that does something good for the community is typical of Moose Jaw, said Mayor Fraser Tolmie. He thought this would be a great event to attend, especially since the money raised will support mental health initiatives and upgrades to the ballpark.
“I think this will be more than a concert; it will be a celebration for the community,” he added.
This event will be a great way to bring together the community, while having it on Aug. 28 will allow people to adjust to the “new normal,” said Coun. Crystal Froese. She expected this to be a great event — she looks forward to seeing Barney Bentall — and thought having it at Ross Wells was a suitable location.
“People have been cooped up for the last year (to) 15 months. I think this is a great project,” agreed Coun. Doug Blanc. “Not only does it help mental health initiatives, but it also helps the Ross Wells Park, (and) more importantly, it gets people out. It gives them some freshness.”
The next executive committee meeting is Monday, July 26.
