Chamber Staff Report
The city of International Falls is seeking strong women and men to participate in the International Tug-of-War “Pulling for Peace” across the Rainy River, a boundary between the United States and Canada.
The July 2 annual event is known as “International Peaceful Borders Day” in Fort Frances and International Falls and is held between the international sister cities.
A tug task force met recently in the Falls to organize what this year will be a three-tiered event comprised of a celebrity pull, community pull and an all-new power pull for competitively strong athletes. The physically strong as well as high-spirited Americans are asked to join in by contacting the Falls Chamber of Commerce at 283-9400.
Canada won the event in 2011 despite the efforts of Minnesota Viking alumni Matt Blair, Stu Voigt, Bob Lurtsema, Greg Coleman, Frank Youso, and John Swain, who all pulled for the U.S.A. team.
“This is a matter of national honor,” said International Falls Mayor Shawn Mason. “We need the help of strong American women and men to get back the trophy the U.S.A. lost to Canada in 2011. “I do not want our country to lose two years in a row.”
Mason recruited the participation of Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton for this year’s event.
Canada and the United States share the longest undefended border in the world. International Peaceful Borders Day is an effort to promote peace throughout the world by celebrating the peaceful border enjoyed between the United States and Canada.
U.S. Pres. Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Harper have both been asked by the international sister cities to sign proclamations celebrating Peaceful Borders Day on July 2. The date was chosen because it falls between the two national celebrations of Canada Day, July 1 and U.S. Independence Day, July 4.
The proclamations call on “…all citizens of both Canada and the United States to pause on this day to appreciate the blessings of good friends and good neighbors across peaceful borders…” This will be the fifth international tug-of-war event. Canada has won three times and the U.S.A. has won once.
Fort Frances Mayor Roy Avis, when told that Mason had recruited Dayton for the U.S.A team, stated, “Maybe I’d be worried about getting wet if it was Gov. Jesse Ventura or Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. My message to Governor Dayton is: bring a towel.”
Fifty participants are on each of the U.S.A. and Canada teams in the competitive International Tug-of-War. The teams must be gender-balanced with at least 20 women on each team.
The event will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, July 2, beginning with a celebrity pull followed by a community pull and finally the competitive or power pull. People may contact the chamber ando visit the Pulling for Peace website at www.pullingforpeace.com to register or for more information.
