GUELPH, ON - Feb. 2, 2004

     For the tenth consecutive year, tug-of-war will be a featured event at the annual College Royal Days at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. This year's competition will be held on March 21st on the Johnson Green to the north end of the campus.

      Founded in 1925, College Royal is the largest university open house event of its kind North America. Each March, the University of Guelph is opened to the general public in a campus-wide open house that attracts over 30,000 visitors every year. For students, College Royal is also a 12-day long carnival that includes popular events like Super Thursday and the College Royal Ball. College Royal is a 100% student run and organized event that involves some 3000 volunteers each year. 

      The College Royal Society consists of 75 student volunteers who coordinate the annual event. These students, in turn, coordinate the hundreds of other student volunteers who make College Royal happen each year.  On the final week-end of the event, the families of students attending the university and alumni are invited to the Open House.

      The annual tug-of-war event began in 1994 after several students who had seen tournaments at fall fairs and highland games thought that the introduction of the sport at their annual winter carnival would add interest and excitement to the program.  They set up a meeting with Malcolm Monteith, then president of OTOWA to help organize and run the event.  

      Over the years, the tug-of-war tournament has grown in popularity and has become a major attraction at the Guelph event.  Jennifer Lalonde, 3rd year student and co-ordinator for the tug-of-war event for the past two years, anticipates the 2004 competition to once again attract a large number of students and spectators.  According to Ms. Lalonde, there have been eight entries submitted to date.

      In the next edition of the CATOWA COMMUNICATOR, a complete report of the March 21 event will be featured.