The crowd arrived hungry both to fill their stomachs and empty their wallets, and Barney Maher couldn’t have been happier.
About 200 people were at La Place Rendez-Vous last Friday night for an evening of fun and fundraising during the 21st-annual banquet hosted by the Fort Frances branch of Ducks Unlimited.
An unprecedented show of generosity from local supporters of the conservation group resulted in what Maher, who chairs the local DU committee, estimated to be a record amount—roughly $45,000 in gross revenue.
“I thought it was a great event,” said Maher, who said net profits should total near $30,000 once all expenses for the evening are covered.
“It was nice to see a good-sized young crowd, which is a positive sign,” he added. “It’s good to know the message is getting out to young people.”
The evening featured a silent auction, which netted about $8,000, a raffle that brought in $11,700, and a live auction that raised close to $15,000.
The big-ticket item in the live auction was a framed Boston Bruins jersey autographed by NHL great Bobby Orr, which finally was secured by Dale LaBelle, owner of LaBelle’s Birch Point Camp on Rainy Lake, with a winning bid of $3,200.
“The live auction really turned around when we put the wooden toilet paper holder up for bids,” Maher said about the item that was handcrafted in the shape of a fishing reel.
It was claimed by former resort owner Ted Davis for a surprising $450 after a spirited bidding war.
“People really got into it, cheering them on. The guys that were bidding against each other were having fun with it,” Maher remarked. “After that, the bids started getting a little higher than what I thought they’d be.”
Also Friday night, Davis and local outdoor equipment store owner Scott Clendenning received the Pewter Teal Award for their contributions to Ducks Unlimited over the years.
Meanwhile, Larry Cousineau of Cousineau Brokers here received recognition for his 20 years of involvement with the organization.
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Steve Stinkowji, the Northern Ontario fundraising manager for Ducks Unlimited, said Friday night’s banquet here was just one of the vital elements needed for the continued health and progress of the association.
“These events are the grassroots of our organization,” he stressed. “This is how we get known to the general public. This is how Ducks Unlimited started fundraising 30 years ago.”
Stinkowji said while DU is moving in the right direction, much more needs to be accomplished—and much more money raised—for the group to reach its objectives.
One of the major projects currently on the table in this part of the country revolves around compiling a detailed record of the wetlands scattered throughout the region.
“There are so many wetlands, no one has any idea right now what they all are or where they are, or if there are endangered species on those wetlands,” noted Stinkowji.
“We want to map these sites and find out how many there are, which is a very expensive thing to do,” he added.
Other plans include impressing on municipalities the importance of having water management plans in place, as well as the continued formation of partnerships between DU and corporations to help supplement conservation efforts.
But Stinkowji said the best thing the organization can do is to keep the public as informed as possible about the benefits of protecting the environment.
“The public knows the need is there for them to be conservationists, but whether everyone holds themselves accountable, I don’t know,” he remarked.
“The important thing for every individual to do is ask themselves what they can do better to make a difference,” he added. “Everyone means well, but people get so busy, they tend to forget to do the little things that make a difference.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
