On Oct. 5 the Rainy River District Regional Abattoir will hold its first ever Harvest Fundraising Dinner.
After the board’s AGM in May, Times Columnist Kim Jo Bliss wrote that the Abattoir is in a cash crunch as Desnoyers says.
“As I’m sure you’re aware, as an article in May talked about some of the financial struggles that the abattoir has had,” Abattoir board chair Kelsey Desnoyers said. “So the idea behind the fundraiser is twofold. One, obviously we’re looking to raise funds to help move the abattoir forward and keep it as a vital component of our community, and two we wanted a way to try and also bring the community together. What better to do that than a large dinner where people can come and socialize and have a good time. I think for us it’s a way to do something for the community to help the community give back.”
Desnoyers and her wife Rebecca Cornell run Cornell Farms in LaVallee, Kelsey joined the abattoir’s board of directors in the spring and was elected chair. Desnoyers joined the board knowing how vital the facility is to their farm’s success.
“From my point of view I represent Cornell Farms which is a large beef farm in the District and we obviously use the abattoir a lot for our business and to keep our business moving forward and growing,” Desnoyers said. “So what better way to get involved in the community than something like the local abattoir. I view it as a way of getting involved and being passionate about something in the community but also as a way to help our business move forward as well. I don’t think there’s a single cattle farm in the area that can say they are not very closely linked to the abattoir.”
The abattoir also doesn’t only process beef animals. It processes sheep, chicken and other poultry, goats, hogs, and when there was a local elk farm also processed their animals, the abattoir has also been known to process bison.
The fundraiser will take place on October 5 at the Barwick hall.
“I think people can expect to have a really good time,” Desnoyers said. “So far, we’re doing a good job at having a fully locally sourced dinner. Our goal is to have beef and pork roast, locally sourced potatoes and vegetables. There’s also going to be a silent and live auction and a penny table and cash bar. We’re hoping to draw as many people as we can for a great cause.”
The funds raised will go to help keep the abattoir up and running for local farming operations to continue using.
“With the exception of wages, continued maintenance of equipment is definitely a struggle for us,” Desnoyers said. “Obviously our equipment needs to be working at all times and if it’s not we can’t process animals through the abattoir and that obviously affects our financial ability. So a large part of bringing these funds in is to help with the day to day maintenance of the abattoir and our equipment.”
As the event draws closer the abattoir board will be reaching out for donations towards silent and live auctions as well as the penny table. Anyone interested in donating can contact a member of the board or desnoyers by email at kdesnoyers@outlook.com.
Tickets for the dinner are $100 and are available at Rainy River Meats or through members of the Abattoir board. The dinner starts with a cocktail hour at 5 p.m. at the Barwick Hall on October 5.
