Appeared in the May 5 Issue of the Interlake Spectator…
The Riverton Elks, Lodge 530, presented a cheque in the amount of $14,114.25 to the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) of the Riverton Early Middle Years School for a new community play structure that will cost total of $86,000.
The Elks held a CFRY Radio talent contest in Riverton on Jan. 15, and cleared over $14,000, all of which was given to parent’s council last month at the Elk Lodge.
“We do lots of fundraising. We also help kids in need of operations,” said Exalted Ruler, Percy Marks.
The PAC committee in Riverton, comprised of seven members, has been working for one-and-one-half years to replace the 25-year-old play structure the school was forced to tear down due to new safety guidelines. The school has been without a play structure since the summer of 2010, and PAC had approached the Elks with a request for a donation.
PAC raised an additional $1,500 from canteen sales at the CFRY event, and $5,000 with their “World’s Finest Chocolate” fundraiser last fall. A Riverton community group, Riverton Djorfung Ladies Aid, raised another $2,000 toward it. The RM of Bifrost donated $2,500.
“The support from the community has been overwhelming, but not surprising. The community really comes through,” said Danielle Weedon, one of the PAC members.
In addition to the generous $14,000 donation made by the Elks, the group will be receiving a $25,000 community Places grant upon completion of the project.
Riverton Early Middle Years School Principal, Nadine Trembley, was in Gimli on April 27 where Gimli MLA Peter Bjornson publicly celebrated the projects being supported by the Community Places Grants in the East Interlake this year.
“We can see the vision much sooner because of the $25,000 Community Places grant. The whole community and visitors can use it,” Trembley said.
PAC still needs to raise $15,000 more to meet the $86,000 price tag.
“We are waiting to hear from MCSC (Manitoba Community Service Council) about one more grant,” said Weedon.
The elaborate play structure, expected to be completed sometime in June, 2011, will be situated on the school grounds, but it will be used by the community as well as tourists.
“It has spinning components, slides, monkey bars, and is accessible to people with mobility issues,” said Weedon.
The Elks continues to fundraise for other projects and will be raffling off a brand new “Street Glide 103” Harley Davidson, at midnight on Sat., May 7.
“We want to build a 55-plus home in Riverton. That’s our next project, probably. It’s in the planning stages” said Marks.
The tickets, which are “going fast”, are available from any Elks member, cost $100 each. A total of 385 were available for purchase.
