Stagecoach Days 1, Mother Nature 0

After a very dirty Saturday, Sunday’s carnival and rodeo made for a terrific conclusion to this weekend’s 46th Annual Stagecoach Days. Mother Nature tested the Rotary Club’s resolve producing winds in excess of 30 miles per hour during Saturday afternoon’s activities, but the inclement weather did not dampen the spirits the organizers or the success of the event.

This year was the 46th anniversary of this annual community event. The Stagecoach Days were staged by the Maricopa Rotary Club and, according to Club president Kelly Anderson, is likely to raise in excess of $10,000 for the community pool and other youth activities. Final revenue and contribution figures won’t be available until next week.

The weekend’s activities commenced with a carnival on Friday that ran through Sunday and featured traditional carnival games and rides. The Stagecoach Days golf tournament, a new addition to Stagecoach Days, teed off Saturday morning and was followed by the first of two rodeos. A barn dance was held Saturday night and another rodeo, along with the carnival, on Sunday.

Fifty players participated in the First Annual Maricopa Rotary Club Invitational Golf Tournament presented by Phoenix Regional Airport held at The Duke at Rancho El Dorado. The inaugural event was organized by Rotary Club member Jim Beard who enthusiastically said “This was an excellent event for a first-year tournament.” Mr. Beard, director of technical services for Arizona Solar Tech, was bullish on the tournament’s future saying “The Duke Golf Course is such a good venue and has such high quality people, we anticipate the golf tournament being a staple of Stagecoach Days for many years to come.”