Letter to the Editor...

'Event day' concept just may unite people and chop crime
The TimesPublished: Friday, July 31, 2009
EDITOR, THE TIMES:

Re: Ken Herar's column last Friday entitled Inspiring others to succeed:
Personally, I find it difficult to get friends out and do things here in Abbotsford.
Maybe there's a mild lack of interesting things to do that's free locally. So when I think about making a community more inclusive, I get a gut feeling that initially it'll only apply to those with common interests.
And if we focus along those lines, we can ease into some ideas so that they'll make sense to broader groups over time and bring them together and possibly have them share new experiences and ideas with each other.
With the proverbial ball rolling, there is potential for the social glue to bond and become larger as a source for interests and passions are offered up and explored.
So getting to the point finally, I would really want to be a part of would be an "event day" down at Mill Lake where many local bands can come out to play free and activities such as volleyball, bocce, badminton, etc., could be setup by volunteers.
Those who aren't able to gather enough friends together can come down and enjoy a game with some new people.
Festivals and celebrations throughout history have always brought people together. Perhaps it's time to get more of that within Abbotsford and on a regular basis (one day a week). Who knows, it might be the No. 1 way to reduce crime in Abbotsford, seeing as most drug use and crime are first introduced out of boredom.
I can't think of any strong inclusive communities that are without regular and constant festivals.
Steve Vyas,
Abbotsford
© Abbotsford Times 2009