To the Editor:
Back in early March, I announced that I would be resigning as president of the Carlton County Labor Day Celebration. Earlier this month, at our first meeting of the Celebration for this year, Mike Parrott stepped forward to accept the nomination and immediately assumed control. As I have been giving him information about previous Labor Day events, I have been impressed by his eagerness to get to work to ensure that this year's celebration (the 98th) will continue to entertain the populace, while also honoring the labor of all people.
For the most part, during my seven-year tenure, I have enjoyed the work that was involved and the relationships and experiences that came with organizing the celebration. The primary reason for my departure is my age and the percentage of my available physical and mental energy that running the celebration takes. Anyone who spends hundreds of hours in volunteer work each year can relate to that. My hat is off to all of you who do!
All that work was always validated on Labor Day weekend. The volunteers showed up to help run the events, and the people came out by the thousands to enjoy them. There has been a fantastic "buy-in" of the entire community. Local businesses and some major corporations chip in alongside many labor organizations to help fund the celebration. Also, the city of Cloquet and the Cloquet Police and Fire departments bent over backwards to help us. Even Cloquet Mayor Dave Hallback and State Representative Mike Sundin were volunteers at our "Old Timer's Banquet." Most incredible of all (at least to me) is the assistance of the Cloquet Chamber's Office of Tourism in marketing our events. When it comes to community events, Cloquet does not take a backseat to anyone.
The Labor Day Celebration continues on because there is typically a core group of volunteers who remain to serve as directors with some experience. That was the case for me. When I took over after the passing of Bob Oswold, I leaned heavily on them for advice and perspective. I suspect many of them will be there for Mike Parrott too. Hopefully they will be there to decrease his workload. I am very optimistic for the future and would not be surprised if the Labor Day Celebration continues to improve.
The baton has been passed.
Mike Kuitu
Cloquet
