It’s cold outside, there’s plenty of snow, and everyone is in lockdown, which makes for a great time to have a snow sculpture competition.

To help anyone living, working, or volunteering in the Town of Minto get through the winter season, the Rotary Club of Clifford with help from the Minto Mental Health Initiative have launched the competition—with a twist.

Trish Palmer, president of the Clifford Rotary Club said to enter the competition people will need to take a photo of their snow sculpture, and then one showing human interaction with it, which is the twist.

“We really want to see some good, humorous entries, and see that people are getting some fun out of it, that’s the main goal of this thing is to have some fun during what could be a sort of low time in our lives,” Palmer said.

Palmer said the human interaction part of the competition really fits in with what they’re trying to achieve with the contest.

“We are trying to encourage awareness of the Minto Mental Health Initiative, and also the new [Integrated Youth Services Network (IYSN)] hub that’s being set up in Palmerston […],” she said.

Palmer said they want to highlight what resources the Minto Mental Health Initiative can offer people to help them get through the winter, and to shine a light on what the IYSN hub in Palmerston can offer its youth.

She said that with the competition they want to encourage people to get outside.

“I think it’s going to be so much fun and I really hope that we get some people who are bored, and want to do something different, and maybe challenge their street, or two churches challenging each other, or two businesses, you know, just set up some friendly competition,” Palmer said.

She added that there shouldn’t be anyone in town who cannot take part in the competition which will bring people together, yet maintain social distancing rules.

The competition runs for the entire month of January, with voting taking place February 1, 2012 on Minto Mental Health’s Facebook page, and ending on February 7, 2021.

Palmer said there will be prizes for whoever’s submission gets the most votes.

Photo submissions can be sent to: mentalhealth@town.minto.on.ca.

If you are wanting to support the Integrated Youth Services Network (IYSN), please contact Jessica Martin, executive director of Minto Mental Health: jessica@town.minto.on.ca