Merrill Dunes
This is a preliminary page for the Merrill / Moon Lake Voluntary Fire Response fund raiser at Merrill Dunes. It will be expanded gradually with photos, history and current status of the Fire Department, and a more organized description of the fund raiser details. (See History Note at page bottom)
Basically, I (as in George Manning) am really impressed with the effort and dedication that the volunteers behind the Merrill / Moon Lake fire response organization, have applied. To this point I have contributed nothing so here is my chance to kick the cat!
My backyard Action Tag operation will put on an Action Tag event on Oct 19, Sunday, at 1:30pm with a player cap of 30 players. Actual active play time is 2 hours. The player price is the low price we charge for large groups, and ALL the money will go directly to the Fire Department bank account. I feel the event will be a multi-facet winner in that it will provide funding to strengthen the fire response team, will provide a wonderful opportunity for community members to mix in an environment that is a powerful team builder, and I am hoping the fire boys will strut some of their equipment and let children put out some dramatic "bale and smoke bomb" controlled blazes. Visibility for the fire department is important and a bit of showmanship will help acreage owners to appreciate the service these folks are providing!
Our Action Tag formula is, as far as we are aware, unique, here and everywhere. Much of our game equipment has been built in our own shop, backed by close to 30 years of experience. There are few activities that are so age and gender neutral. We know that mixed groups and intergenerational groups invariably are happy "Happenings"! Individuals hit the exit as bubbling enthusiasts who are now much closer friends with everyone else who was in attendance.
Here is how you snag one or more of the 30 spots. Etransfer $35 per player to the Merrill / Moon Lake Voluntary Fire Department bank account via their direct deposit email MMLVFire@gmail.com. Be sure to include a note giving the contributors name, a text accepting cell phone number, and the names of the players who are covered by the payment. I will post a note on this page that will indicate when we are close to selling out, to avoid over subscription. Also, calling or texting Merrill Dunes at 306-280-4100 will allow you to get an immediate updates.
You won't get a receipt and neither will Merrill Dunes. The Action Tag experience is your payment. You won't get a refund as offering such would create a costly book keeping and paper nightmare. In the event of a weather disaster, we will try to reschedule quickly but at worst, given the lateness in the season, we might be forced to delay till spring. If your original player nominee can't make it, simply call Merrill Dunes and make a substitution. This is a community fund raiser and the funds will be used immediately and over the winter to bolster the fire department equipment inventory.
The action tag field is on sand and we are in a dry belt south of the city. Further, the forest area has a big effect on wind, so we have a lot of weather resilience. Action Tag is a massive heat generator so a cool day is preferable to heat. The central staging zone is totally sheltered and a wood stove and small heated lounge will be available if needed.
Scan the videos and photos of events at Merrill Dunes. Note the body English and animated expressions. If you participate, you will be impressed. And if you simply attend and observe, you will be animated by the energy that you will see being generated. For the elderly, just being a spectator and seeing children and grandchildren in action, will crank your clock back several years! Feel free to bring lunch and drinks.
The scroller tells you what it is like to play at Merrill Dunes. Notice the wild age variations and the mix of ages. Notice the expressions on the players' faces and their body English. Visualize yourself in the mix! There have been and will be a lot of good times at Merrill Dunes! The Fun/Fund Raiser will be an Addition!
PDF Poster for Event
History: The Merrill-Moon Lake Voluntary Fire Initiative was started in the early 2000s. Robert Stonehouse, who has fought area fires for ever, was the initial push. The late Lorne Johnson, Rick Dixon, the late Vince Keindel, and Vlad Sopuck were players who were involved in outfitting six fire trailers built on old sprayer frames, fitted with a water tank and with a gas powered pump. The goal was to have a local, quick response system. A call system, linked in with the local crime watch was organized. Unfortunately the covid reaction brought an end to activity, however in recent times, Ed Keindel, Vince's son, has fired things up again. Once again there is a call system in place and effort is being made to get all the equipment organized and into ready to use / rapid deployment condition. I believe the RM has kicked in some funding. The laser tag fund raiser is a small booster for the established system.
When the first fire trailers were being build in Rick Dixon's shop, a fire occurred at Moon Lake and away the guys went and put out the fire before it could get to two float planes anchored near by. No other fire fighters showed up. Rick pointed out that the volunteers may not be trained firemen but the locals can usually get there first and when there is no one else, even amateurs are appreciated - especially if they have a water tank and sprayer!
