Without more help from its community, the Eden Whale Festival will not be able to run this year.
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The recent annual general meeting for the festival, which has been running for 23 years, failed to form a new committee with only two positions being filled.
Incoming secretary Ruth Ernest said it would be a tragedy for the town if the festival was not held and called for more people from the community to step up and help out.
READ MORE: Eden Whale Festival 2019
"If they enjoy the festival, if they want to have the festival with their kids and families, then they have to be prepared to come along and have a go, otherwise we just won't have one," she said.
"We've got no president, no vice-president, no committee members; nobody else.
"If it stays that way we just won't be able to have a Whale Festival this year. We can't do it without a committee."
She said the outgoing committee members had been involved in the event for a few years and were ready to take a break, so new members were needed.
Ms Ernest said this year organisers had hoped to apply for grants and funding instead of relying on the support of local businesses to run the event, because if they were successful in applying for grants those could be used to support the local businesses.
She hoped people interested in fundraising, grant writing, liaising with the community and coordinating stalls would join the committee.
She said the meetings committee members had to attend "aren't onerous" and unless other people were able to put their hands up for the committee "then that's it".
"It would be a lost opportunity to the town, particularly in the current economic crisis that we're going through, if another town snuffles it up because they see the benefit of having it," Ms Ernest said.
An extraordinary meeting next week will be an opportunity for people looking to get involved in the festival to put their hand up.
The meeting will be on Wednesday, February 12 from 7pm at the Eden Fishermen's Recreation Club, Eden.
For more information contact Ms Ernest on 0427 201 250 or ruth.m.ernest@gmail.com.
Albert McKnight
Journalist at Bega District News.
Journalist at Bega District News.
