Mennonite Heritage Village was the host location for the 2014 Steinbach Tractor Trek on Saturday June 14th. The number of participants increased to 53 participating tractors, up from 40 last year. The drive began with a generous dump of rain which led many to think this might be a repeat of two years previous. A few miles into the ride the rain let up and the enjoyment of the drive increased dramatically.
The route took the drivers north of Steinbach to Blumenort then west to Landmark for lunch served by the Kinsmen. From there the drivers headed south to Randolph; which incidentally was originally named Chortitz but due to postal service confusion with the village near Winkler by the same name, was renamed. Back in 1937 a couple of Neufeld brothers began to service vehicle in Randolph and then eventually became Oliver dealers and Cockshutt dealers and then eventually adding the Nash automobile line to their offerings. Since closing in 2008 a number of the Oliver tractors were re-acquired and have now become part of the display at Neufeld’s Garage where the old shop is now doing duty as a place to hold special events.
After the visit there, the parade headed back to Mennonite Heritage Village for supper, some entertainment and prizes.
The purpose of the Tractor Trek is a shared effort as a fund-raising event for both Mennonite Heritage Village and Eden Foundation and over $32,000 was raised as a result of contributions made to Trekkers for this event. The Village will benefit from the event by being able to pay for the continuing up-keep of the facility and the artifacts that are a reflection of the Mennonite heritage in southern Manitoba. Eden will benefit from the effort by being able to offer mental health services in those areas where the hopes and dreams of the mental health service community is greater than the annual budget can accommodate. This year the most visible evidence in Steinbach of community participation will be the refurbishment to the exterior of Wilson Courts.
Eden Foundation and Mennonite Heritage Village are both thankful for the generous participation of those who committed themselves financially.
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