Paintball Day hosts 250 plus

The first Lovell Paintball Day held Saturday was a roaring success, organizer Ali Wagner reported this week.

The venue at the Lovell High School football practice field was alive with activity from beginning to end, and Wagner estimates more than 250 people turned out to participate or watch the contests.

Wagner, a provider at North Big Horn Hospital with a growing practice in mental health, has been a paintball enthusiast with her family for several years now and wants to spread her love of the sport to others. She said the event was part of Big Horn Basin DSM – Diversity, Socialization, Mental Health – Program.

“I have been getting a lot of people asking, ‘When are you going to do it again?’ That is where it gets complicated, because the only way it can happen again is if we get financial startup support from the local community for the non-profit,” Wagner said. “Once the non-profit is established and we have some community sponsors, then I will also look into grants and other funding to help the program to grow and thrive.

“I really want the community to know how special it was to have so much support and to see so many families, teens and children out there just having a blast. I love that paintball really allows them to prove to themselves that they can do hard things, and sometimes you get hurt, but the experience allows growth and in the end its all worth it. I really hope that, even with apprehension, community businesses will consider reaching out and partnering with us to bring something great to our town.”