While the fundraising total may have been less than last year’s, a sold-out crowd still flocked to the Rendez-Vous last Friday for the Ducks Unlimited 19th-annual banquet to support wetland conservation.
“We were a little down from last year, but I thought that would happen,” said Barney Maher, chair of the local DU chapter, adding the early fundraising total is $29,200. Money from ticket sales and cash donations, as well as costs for putting on the event are still being sorted.
“There were a number of new faces, and it took a while for them to get going with the bidding,” he noted, explaining a possible reason as to why the bids weren’t as high as usual.
But Maher added new faces meant new members, as everyone who purchased a ticket will get a DU membership. “I think it’s great to get new people involved. The more people the better, and, of course, we always need new committee members. Us old guys have got to get off it sometime,” he chuckled.
“It’s great, it’s like a new generation,” echoed DU member Larry Cousineau.
Something else a little different this year was the presentation of two “Pewter Teal” duck figurines to two members who have made long-time contributions to the fundraiser.
Vic Davis, whose award was accepted by Ted Davis, was given a teal for providing trips with his fly-in service over the years. Davis was the former owner of Moose Point Lodge.
And Megan Cuthbertson accepted a figurine for her mother, local artist Connie Cuthbertson, who has donated her paintings to the fundraiser for over 10 years. “I was disappointed I couldn’t be there. It was wonderful to find out about it though–It was very much an honour,” said the artist Monday.
A print also was given to Steve and Donna Latimer not only for their 20-year-plus membership with DU, but for contributing painting and carvings to the cause.
And yet another moment was the changing of the guard for the Northern Ontario DU rep. Recent rep Dave Thompson turned over the reins to Steve Stinkowji, and Thompson is now working on the group’s new initiative–targeting Ontario’s forested regions.
Thompson announced the group is trying to better understand the wetland habitats within arboreal forest regions and develop programs that will ensure the ecosystems for future generations.
But what would a DU fundraiser be without the dozens of items up for live and silent auctions and raffles, and here are some of the ones that fetched top bids.
The live auction, which featured a total of 40 items this year, fetched a total of $13,600. The item getting the highest bid was a Benellie 12-guage shotgun, courtesy of DU.
Some other top items included: a Beaver Aircraft carving by Ray Coran ($400), the print “Lazy Afternoon” by artist Terry Redlin ($775), a first print of “Sunflowers” by Connie Cuthbertson ($425), housekeeping cabin for five days at Barker Bay, Lower Manitou Lake donated by Ted and Faye Davis ($600); and an original watercolour by Linda Lovisa ($275).
Telford Advent lent his auctioneer’s voice to getting the bids going.
And the silent auction fetched $7,800, with the DU cast “Secure,” featuring a goose and its gosling, getting the top bid of all the 50 items–$230.
Local artists and carvers who contributed their works to the auctions included Linda Lovisa, Dr. Jas Spencer, Connie Cuthbertson, Cher Hogan, Doug Mitchell, Ray Coran, Vi Plumridge, Pam Brandrick, Allan Anderson, Sid Asselin, Al Haskins, Kari-Ann Anderson, Bill Martin, Steve & Donna Latimer, Bruce Caldwell, Jean Richards, Donna Cannon, Malcolm, Greenside’s General Store & Nana’s Workshop.
The several raffles, such as the “pyramid raffle” and the “ladies’ raffle” also contributed to $8,700 to the fundraiser total.
The DU mystery print, unveiled at the end of the evening as a Robert Bateman print of an eagle, went to Dale LaBelle for $1,225. The print had been donated by the local CIBC.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
