Duane Hicks
After a somewhat less successful fundraiser last fall, the Fort Frances Voyageur Lions Club saw its annual “Drive-Thru Breakfast” come roaring back as a success last Thursday at Tim Hortons here.
“This year’s ‘Drive-Thru’ grossed just over $2,500, which will allow us to build towards our remaining $5,000 pledge to the library,” Lions district governor Val Martindale said in an e-mail to the Times.
Last year’s event raised just over $1,700.
The Voyageur Lions made a pledge to acquire adaptive technology at the new Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre to help the vision-impaired (this equipment currently is available for use there).
As in past years, motorists were encouraged to drive into Tim Hortons’ parking lot last Thursday morning, make a donation, and get a coffee, muffin, and a reusable shopping bag donated by Wal-Mart containing packages of gum, a bottle of water, pencils and pens, fruit snacks, breakfast bars, and coupons and certificates from a wide variety of local merchants.
Selected bags also contained gift certificates ranging in value from $5 to $50, as well bonus certificates for prizes too large to fit in the bags.
The top prize this year was a lift chair valued at more than $800, donated by Shoppers Home Health Care here.
It was won by Don and Rhoda Dickson of Fort Frances.
“Success of this year’s event is thanks to the response of all who bought a bag and to the generous donations of over 50 local businesses,” Martindale noted.
Club member Jim Martindale said Thursday that all 250 bags were given out.
In fact, as they were taking their drive-thru booth down around 9:30 a.m., the club had to turn a half-dozen or so people away because they had run out.
