In an event not like any other in the valley, residents will be coming together for their neighbours during the annual Salvation Army food drive.
    The food drive is set to go on the evening of Thursday, November 28. During this one night blitz, volunteers will be going door-to-door collecting donations for the Salvation Army Food Bank leading up to Christmas.
    The blitz is the Salvation Army’s major food drive and the donations that come in help supply the food bank for a good portion of the coming year.
    Heather Colberg is once again organizing the event and is looking for volunteers.
    “We are asking for anyone who would like to help out in canvassing the area in which they live (or help where needed) to come to any one of the meeting locations,” she said. “This is going to be a one night food blitz again so the more volunteers we get the better we’ll be able to cover the town and help those who are less fortunate.  This is a great way to get your family involved and encourage them to volunteer.”
    In last week’s inSide Drumheller, readers found a red grocery bag. These are for residents to pack and leave on their doorstep. This way volunteers are able to easily identify donations for the food drive, making collection that much easier.
    The blitz starts at 6 p.m. and volunteers will be combing Drumheller neighbourhoods, from Nacmine to Rosedale. There will also be volunteers canvassing Morrin, Munson and Carbon.
 Colberg is grateful for the support of volunteers. It is not uncommon to see clubs, teams and organizations in the mix as they go door-to-door. Volunteers are also needed to help sort and pack the donations. Once again, the Drumheller Co-op has allowed volunteers to use the former Liquidation World in Greentree Mall as a drop-off and sorting area.
    Colberg said they are still in great need of more volunteers on the evening of the food drive. Crews will muster at various locales throughout the valley before they head out. She adds that if students were interested in using the food drive to count towards volunteer hours, she would be glad to sign the papers to do this.
    To learn more or to sign up as a volunteer, contact Heather Colberg at 403-823-0811.

    One of the Drumheller area’s true cowboys is inviting readers to take a journey into the life of a prairie cowboy.
    Local rancher and farmer Don Howard just finished his autobiography, Under the Cow Patty, and is inviting everyone to take a read.
    The book details his life, adventures, and some of the interesting people he has met over the years.

Don Howard proudly holds his recently finished autobiography, Under the Cow Patty. Howard tells of his life living on the prairies, his involvement in music, the interesting people he’s met, and peppers the book with humorous events. Howard will be at The Drumheller Mail on Friday, November 29, 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., to sign copies of his book.

    “It goes through a little history about our family and I’ve tried to keep some humour in there. Some is our family life as we went along. Other parts are about the people we met. There some not-so-happy times, but mostly happy times. There’s also a chapter in there that’s pure nonsense,” said Howard.
    Music has always been a large part of Howard’s life and much of the book is dedicated to his years of involvement in Drumheller’s musical landscape.
    “Music has been a big part of my life and there’s a long chapter on some of the musicians that have been in the area. I’ve been playing since I was eight years-old. Sometimes it gets intense and other times it slows down and is a bit more sporadic,” said Howard.
    Howard, who is now 74, came up with the idea during the long days in the combine.
    “I’ve always enjoyed autobiographies. I started two years ago, thinking about it on the combine. I thought I had a bit to tell and I've met some interesting people in my life. I started jotting things down, but I left it for awhile. Then I came back to finish it,” said Howard.
    He also chose to write in memory of his daughter-in-law.
    “One of the main reasons I wrote was in memory of Tanya, our daughter-in-law. She was a nurse and instrumental in starting the Relay for Life. In the midst of it, she had a tumour and died, so I wanted to do something for her,” said Howard.
    Howard has been living near Munson since 1944. Throughout the years and many adventures, he’s kept his family farm and ranch going strong.
    “We’re still running some cows and farm a little grain. We’re active with horses and cattle,” said Howard.
    Howard will be at The Drumheller Mail on Friday, November 29, 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., to sign copies of his book and encourages people to stop by, pick up a copy, and chat.
    “I think there are some things that will interest a lot of people. There’s a lot of local people in there, too, especially when it comes to the music,” said Howard. “I’m excited. It’s a good feeling.”