There is a real mystique about Central Park for out-of-towners each Easter but for many locals across the Grampians, the hype does not seem to reach the same levels.

This is in our own backyard and we cannot afford to get complacent that it will always happen.

Stawell Athletic Club is piecing together a five-year plan for an event sponsor to keep running the event at the same intensity and level, at the same time as trying to successfully pull off this latest edition. In an increasingly tough market for sports sponsorship, this is a massive ask but it is a crucial one for the region and for Australian sport.

Easter is huge for tourism across the Grampians with a whole bumper list of major events and important community gatherings.

Each is important in its own right but is undoubtedly bolstered by having the Gift, and all the exposure it draws, in the region.

The flow-on effect for Ararat, Stawell and the surrounding districts is vital to local economy. Should the Gift drop off, we will feel all feel it.

This is why we must all appreciate what Australia’s richest footrace is all about.

This is more than just queuing up at Central Park across the carnival. It is about giving the athletes, their families and running stables the best experience outside the hallowed stadium, not just in Stawell but across the whole region from business to a general good vibe in the street.

Take some interest in what the Gift is about and what athletes across the nation work so hard to contest.

Stawell Gift is evolving. Ararat sprinter Sarah Blizzard has been a finalist in the past three Women’s Gift finals, as the event moved into prizemoney parity with the title race. Each year it gets harder, luring more elite female athletes to race on the grass, but this fuels Blizzard’s hunger to improve.

This Easter, the limit mark for the Women’s Gift is tighter and a women’s 70-metre race has been added to the program to showcase more female athletic talent.

The Stawell Gift meet is considered a grand final for professional runners of all distances. It is a leader in the Victorian Athletic League and, with its history and Easter Monday exposure, the meet helps set the tone for better equity in all sports across the nation.

And that’s pretty special to have in our backyard.