Credit to the organisers of the International Vintage Car Rally, which is about to hit the streets of Wanganui and the surrounding region.
Considerable effort has gone into organising the event - years of planning, negotiating and crunching the logistics to get this far. And with only days until the VCC Rally 2012 officially kicks off - some cars have already commenced their journey from all over the country while others arrive from overseas - the buzz is building.
Evidence of the impending vintage vehicles and their enthusiastic drivers, navigators and support crews are becoming apparent. Where once the signs warned of the cars coming, now they state they are here. Construction and security fencing at Springvale Park are indicative that we are close to the start.
It's fair to say the city will not have seen the likes of this event before. And praise must be sent the way of the organising committee who have done all they can to ensure Wanganui businesses and service providers got first dibs on any business they brought to town. Only if it couldn't be done locally did they venture outside the city, and it is estimated that 80 per cent of the business has stayed in town.
Credit too to Wanganui District Council, which had the foresight to see what the event might bring to the area. The $100,000 offered to entice the rally was a considerable investment - even in the scale of council finances - but the returns will justify that.
