The first year garnered immediate success with a donation of $5,000 from the Salmon Arm Kinsmen towards the Park fund. By the second Festival, in 1989, more parent-volunteers had joined the team. The playground equipment had been ordered, and was put in place after the second Festival by devoted volunteers. During these first two Festivals, all the supplies were donated by the community. The carnival games were borrowed from local schools, as many of the volunteers were also teachers. Being all volunteer run however, the Festival volunteers built their own games in 1994. Money from these games was used to pay for the canopies and marquis tent that still cover the activities and stage to this day. Since its humble beginnings, the Children's Festival has grown quite a lot and is now funded by Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union and the City of Salmon Arm, but continues to be volunteer run. From its initial five families, many more have joined in to volunteer their time to make the children of Salmon Arm's lives a little more fun - 30 years later, the children of the first volunteers are now volunteers themselves,  but running the show at the Salmon Arm  and Shuswap Lake Agricultural  Association (SASLA) fair grounds.

About the Photographer

Bodan 'Don' Grabowecki came to Salmon Arm from Vancouver by way of Kerrisdale in 1979 to work at Ready's Pharmacy in the camera department. Before that he had worked at Kits Cameras in Kitsilano, Rushant Cameras Ltd. near the University of British Columbia and Kerrisdale Cameras in Kerrisdale. He had pursued photography at Vancouver School of Art and Design, now Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Devoted to his craft, Don always worked with film. When photography moved to digital, he lay his camera aside. However, before he stopped, Don produced a prodigious portfolio of the local area and events, including these photos of the Children's Festival. He also developed some of Rex Lingford's negatives from the early 20th century while working at Ready's, which were then displayed at the Salmon Arm Museum.

Outside of photography, Don led a very private life. He lived in a house provided for him by the Ready's in Rotary Gardens. He never married, nor did he have any children, but through his work he supported his nephew financially in his dream to become a pro athlete. With his mother Grace Phillipchuck getting up in years, he moved her to Salmon Arm from North Hollywood, California, in the mid 90s to live with him. Don died January 2nd, 2016, and was pre-deceased by his mother and sister.
 Don Grabowecki, centre, with Curator Deborah Chapman and Dave Harper
Picture
This gallery and slide show were created by Ryon Ready, with help and materials from the Salmon Arm Museum. Ryon researched the topic and interviewed family members who knew Don Grabowecki. He is currently in his last year of Anthropology at the University of Victoria, and plans to become a teacher in Salmon Arm, the place he calls home.
We hope you enjoyed this little gallery!
Picture

                 This project made possible by the Salmon Arm Museum
                                            at R.J. Haney Heritage Village