Many sports in the city held their respective grand finals on Saturday and was fantastic to see so many people out and about supporting their family and friends.

A friend of Parade was at the hockey grand finals and she couldn’t help but notice all the incredible work the hockey committee had put in to make they day memorable.

From organising the junior presentations to the senior grand final, it must be an absolutely enormous job to pull off, but it is done so well.

Parade obviously can’t name everyone, but would like to thank the many people who volunteer their time year in and year out, not only at hockey but at every other sport across the city, enabling literally thousands of people of all ages to be involved with sport in the community. Well done and thank-you to volunteers everywhere, you work is certainly appreciated.

AND while the accolades are flowing well done to the organisers of Sunday’s Edgell Jog. While the rain was at times annoying, it did little to dampen the spirits of the day, with many of the runners saying it actually helped them by keeping them cool as they ran. But fortunately it didn’t stop people fronting for the annual event, which from memory has only had one other wet day, not a bad average for 41 years.

AND on the topic of rain, it may not have interfered with the Edgell Jog, but the rain caused an issue with the entrant’s bibs, some of which disintegrated in the wet weather.

While entrant’s times in the race were recorded electronically as they stepped over the finish line, historically, entrants then put their race number in the barrel to win one of three great prizes, which this year included a tip for two to Fiji.

Realising there was an issue, and ensuring everyone still got a chance to win, organisers of the jog were quick to rectify the situation, organising a computer ballot of all entrants from which the winners were then chosen, which kept everyone happy.