Organisers of the annual Sid Vale Athletics sports and fete event have issued an ‘urgent’ plea for new volunteers to take over the 60-year-old festivities.
The current committee has postponed the event for this year following the deaths of two of its key members.
The tradition was started more than six decades ago and is an annual sports day and fete at Sidford sports field.
Tanya Mitchell, from the organising committee, said new members are needed for the event to happen next year - which raises between £1,000 and £3,000 a year for charity.
She added: “If the event is to happen in 2018, we urgently need new members to come forward and help organise and run the event. We cannot do it with the number of people that we have left.
“This is a wake-up call. We are not running it this is year and we are looking to bring it back with new blood.
“I want to see it continue for this generation.”
Tanya paid tribute to Barry Perry and Andy Cole, both vital members of the small committee who sadly died recently.
Tanya said: “On losing Barry Perry, one of our key members, late last year, we agreed to go ahead with the fete this year, knowing that without the tireless work Barry put in before the event and on the day, we would really struggle.
“As a committee we went ahead, knowing that we would need to look beyond our existing committee to be able to carry the event on in the future.
“Tragically, in early February, we then lost Andy Cole suddenly. Andy was another key member of our small committee and the realisation dawned that, without both Barry and Andy, we would not be able to run the event this year.
“They were both such a huge part of the event, having been part of the group for many years. Their work and input at every stage meant that the remaining members felt that, to run the event this year, would be impossible and we have therefore, unfortunately, put it on hold for 2017.”
Money raised from the event is split between clubs and organisations that offer to help out on the day.
The committee meets three to four times a year and is looking for new members to help in the run-up and on the day itself.
Anyone interested in joining the committee can email Tanya at tanya.mitchell@tomy.com.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here