Help keep show on the go

By MELISSA MEEHAN
THEY say the show must go on … but without volunteers the Doveton Show is under threat for 2012.
Now in its eighth year, the Doveton Show is a cheaper alternative to the Melbourne Show, only asking for a gold coin donation from those who attend.
To keep the show alive, committee members have put a call out for volunteers, saying without them the show is at major risk of being cancelled.
Doveton Show committee chairwoman Pam Sutton said it was a sad thing that it had come to this.
“It would be devastating for our community to close this event due to a lack of community support,” she said.
“The Doveton Show offers many of the best bits of the Melbourne Show but it’s put on by the community for local families and prices are kept very low, entry fee is simply a gold coin donation.”
Ms Sutton said the event relied heavily on volunteer support.
The show was held for the first time in September 2005, while only expecting 1000 people a crowd of 5000 came through the gates at Myuna Farm.
Jan Hudson and Vicky Cooper were volunteers at previous Doveton Shows.
“The Doveton Show is a great alternative to the Melbourne Show, with prices being much cheaper and plenty of free activities available, it’s just a good day. We love helping out on Show Day,” Ms Hudson said.
“The squeals of excitement from the children make it a great way to spend the day,” Ms Cooper said.
“Last year it was especially exciting when a baby alpaca was born in the middle of festivities.”
Pam Lewis from the Port Phillip Historical Machinery Society said it would be a sad turn of events if the show was cancelled.
“If we didn’t have a show like this we wouldn’t be able to show our exhibits for people to see,” she said.
Anyone available to help out at the eighth annual Doveton Show on Sunday 23 September is asked to jump on the website www.dovetonshow.org.au and submit a volunteer registration form.