Chris Brown and Alison Pearce are fresh to the game of organising events, but they are bringing some interesting new ideas with them. They were the organisers at the Uringa club event at Callan Park this weekend. In the weeks before the race they were out planning when they came up with a new way of telling people about it. All along the parkways and pavements of the park messages to the general dog walking, bay running, children minding public began to appear in chalk. 'Can you think and run? Come on Sunday 22 July at 10am for some orienteering?' Ron Garner, who was running the SI at the event for the first time, threw his weight behind it and laminated signs with more details for posting around the park for people whose interest had been piqued.
So did it work? Certainly despite the poor weather the turnout was good, on a par with the previous year's event which was bathed in sunshine. Alison had a call the night before from someone who had seen the signs and googled 'orienteering', and a local runner tried out the courses, having seen the chalk messages. One local club member even heard people talking about the event in the local coffee shop the week before. Whether it can be proved it worked or not it is rumoured that Dave Lotty, Sydney Southern Series Co-ordinator has now got a 'chalk box budget' in his plans.
