Event a Golden Gift for the region
Shire of Leonora chief executive Jim Epis says the annual Golden Gift weekend has provided another valuable economic injection for the outback town's business community amid tough financial times.
Now in its 13th year, the Golden Gift continues to draw some of Australia's best athletes with London Olympian Eloise Wellings and Victorian rising star Zac Patterson taking out the showcase Elite Mile events on Sunday.
Yesterday's Leonora Race Club meeting, the second in three days, provided a fitting end to the long weekend festivities in perfect sunshine.
Mr Epis said accommodation providers had reported strong bookings over the weekend and surplus caravans had spilled onto the town oval.
Tower Street hotels and businesses also reported solid turnover.
He estimated crowds were between 2000 and 3000 over the weekend with only minor incidents reported to Leonora Police.
The Shire budgets about $400,000 each year for the Golden Gift, which is funded through its three biggest sponsors, Minara Resources, BHP Billiton and St Barbara.
Among the biggest expenses is chartering a plane to fly in the athletes and $50,000 in prize money, which grabs their attention in the first place.
"In the end you feel like a beggar going around to all the sponsors and you end up raising money any way you can, raffle tickets, you name it," Mr Epis said.
"We all know the Goldfields are going through tough times. It's such an important weekend for Leonora.
"If it wasn't for those major sponsors we would not be able to put on such a fantastic event. The early indications are we have finished on budget."
This year marked the fifth straight year Leonora has been the finish line for the Goldfields Cyclassic, which featured a field of 122 competitors.
Wellings, who pocketed $6000 and a gold ingot for her Elite Mile victory, said the outback experience had been a memorable one in her first visit to Leonora.
The 32-year-old motivational speaker said there were at least 20 children warming up alongside the runners on Tower Street for the Elite Mile heats on Saturday night.
"There is so much talent that is untapped here," she said.
"It's great for the kids to come out (and) hopefully we inspire them. The world is their oyster and it's great to have an event like this which encourages them.
Patterson, who celebrated his 20th birthday two days before the win, was also inspired by the number of children lining the street for the carnival.
"I was speaking to a young guy at breakfast and he said he looks up to me," he said.
"It makes you feel really good about yourself and know you're doing the right thing."
