Sports Fan: Summer activities bountiful in Mac, Yamhill County

Both spectators and "athletic activists" are fortunate they live in McMinnville and the surrounding Yamhill County area: there are dozens of opportunities for fans and athletes to compete in or watch events ranging from fishing to walks to golf and to rodeo, among dozens of other outdoor activities.

One event scheduled for kids is the See Ya Foundation's catch-and-release fishing derby, where lines and lures will hit the water at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 7 at a private pond in the McMinnville area. The derby runs until 2 p.m., and costs $15, with scholarships available. For more information about this activity, contact Carmen Banke at Carmen.Banke@SeeYaLater.org or 503-434-1730.

If that's not enough fishing for you, the Champoeg State Heritage area will provide bait and limited tackle at the public boat dock in the Oak Grove Day Use area from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the same date (June 7), for free fishing day. While the event is free, parking fees are charged. For more information, contact Dan Klug at 503-678-1251 or Daniel.Klug@oregon.gov.

Friday, June 20, McMinnville will hold its Relay for Life for cancer, starting at 6 a.m. at Patton Middle School. Events include luminaria tributes and participants walking the track for donations. Teams also hold fundraisers prior to the event. The annual Relay for Life events, with many cancer survivors participating, have raised millions of dollars for the American Cancer Society to invest in research. Over four million participants in 20 countries participate annually in Relay for Life activities. This is a great opportunity to walk with friends and neighbors in your community to celebrate the survivors (I'm happy to say I've among them) and continue the battle to end cancer. For more information, visit www.relayforlife.org.

On Saturday, June 21, a pair of golf fundraisers are scheduled. Provoking Hope will hold its third annual Golf Marathon from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Bayou Golf Course. The way this tournament works is whoever plays the most holes in the time allotted wins, and participation is by donation. Call Sharon Moore at 503-583-9215 for more information.

The other annual tournament is the CASA Classic, which will begin with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. on June 21 at Michelbook Country Club. The cost is $90 per person, which includes golf, cart and dinner, for the 10th annual event. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact www.yccasa.org/golf or 503-434-6668.

For runners of all ages, enter the Miller Woods cross country trail race, which is set for a 9 a.m. start on Saturday, June 28. This event will include a one-mile race for kids, a four-mile race for adults and prizes and shirts tossed in for an incentive to get outside and get active. The cost is $30 for adults and $10 for kids and half price for Natural Connections members. For more information or to register, visit www.ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=27528.

For the cowboy or cowgirl in you, start off July by attending the annual St. Paul Rodeo, which runs from Tuesday, July 1 through Saturday, July 5. This premier rodeo includes a carnival, barbecue cook-off and a July 4 parade that starts at 10 a.m. Tickets start at $16. For more information, visit the event website at www.stpaulrodeo.com.

On July 11-13, Cycle Oregon's esteemed Weekend Ride is coming to McMinnville. Over 2,500 people and their families are registered to spend the weekend in town. Local sponsors are the McMinnville Downtown Association and the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Another summer rodeo, the Spirit Mountain Stampede, is set for July 18-20. This NPRA event will be held on the rodeo grounds of Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde. Activities start at 1 p.m. Friday and continue through the weekend. Tickets are $10 and $5 for ages four and older. For more information, call 503-879-2350 or visit www.spiritmountain.com.

If you still want more rodeo, visit the Yamhill County Fair, scheduled for Wednesday, July 30 through Saturday, August 2. In addition to the professional rodeo, a carnival, exhibits, livestock auction, demolition derby and live music are featured. Some big name country music acts are also on the agenda including Eli Young Band, Joe Diffie and John Michael Montgomery. If you'd prefer heavy metal, Quiet Riot hits the stage on the final day of the fair. Admission is $10 and $5 for ages 5-12. Season tickets are $20, $7.50 for ages 5-12. For more information, call 503-434-7524.

On August 31, runners and walkers will gather for the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon, which starts at 7 a.m. at Stoller Family Estate and ends on main street in Carlton. In addition to the half-marathon, a two-person relay is scheduled. In addition to the runs, the Wine Festival is set for 9:30 a.m. to noon and an awards ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. For more information about fees or other details, or to register, go to destinationraces.com/runoregon.

While this certainly isn't the entire list of events for late spring and summer 2014 in the McMinnville area, it should at least whet the appetite of everyone looking to get off the couch and outdoors to participate in or spectate at a smorgasbord of activities.

To submit your event for consideration on the News-Register's list of activities, complete the online form at www.newsregister.com or e-mail sports@newsregister.com.

If you have an idea for a column or feature story or a comment, contact me by e-mail at jwalker@newsregister.com or by phone at 503-687-1274.