Those wanting to attend the fifth-annual “Community Chest” benefit dinner to help local families with medical costs had better act fast as tickets are selling fast for the Feb. 16 event.
“Things are going extremely well,” said Georges Blanc, who is helping organize the dinner as both the co-owner of La Place Rendez-Vous, where it is being held, and a member of the local Knights of Columbus.
“We’ve sold about 200 tickets, so there’s 75 left,” he noted. “We would like people to speak up if they want to attend so we can get everything ready.
“We’d really like to see a sold-out event.”
Tickets, which are available at the Rendez-Vous and Cousineau Brokers, cost $25 each and are available in advance only. Reserved tables for 10 people are available upon request.
A social hour will start at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6:30.
Larry Cousineau will be the emcee once again this year while the guest speaker will be local cancer survivor Todd Hamilton.
“And Telford Advent has generously donated his time to be an auctioneer,” noted Blanc. “This will be his third year doing this.”
Speaking of auctions, the annual dinner once again will feature both live and silent ones, as well as a plethora of door prizes. “Local businesses and local residents have been very generous in donating items for this,” said Blanc.
Luke Schill of the local Lions and KCs, who has been rounding up the items along with Joe DeBenedet, Kiwanis president Mark Jones, and Al Zucchiatti, said they’ve managed to get their hands on at least 100 for the fundraiser.
Zucchiatti said donations have varied widely—from a stained glass lamp and a fishing rod holder to 15 yards of crusher chips.
Schill noted other items include T-shirts, a fleece vest, legal services, teeth bleaching, limousine services, picnic tables, power of attorney, a three-piece candle set, shipping services, pictures, an ice auger, residential appraisal by a local real estate broker, and a free wheel alignment.
Schill added one of the prizes that’s sure to draw some high bids may be the bronze deer statue donated by the local chapter of Ducks Unlimited (a picture of it was printed in last week’s Times).
Last year’s benefit dinner brought in $16,100—about $1,100 more than in 2001. The live and silent auctions were responsible for about $9,000 of the total amount.
Blanc said he’s hoping the fundraising momentum from last year’s dinner, as well as the boon the “Community Chest” got from being the local Canada Safeway’s charity for 2002 and getting half the proceeds from the “Spirit of Christmas,” will carry through in 2003.
The event is a co-operative effort of the Rendez-Vous staff, the local Kiwanis and Lions clubs, and KCs, and the “Spirit of Christmas” committee.
The purpose of the “Community Chest” is to provide financial aid to local families who may need help to cover medical costs, for which it receives requests on a regular basis.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
