The Rotary Club of Lacombe is bringing back their Lacombe Rotary Lobster Dinner for its 34th year, June 8th at the Lacombe Memorial Centre.
The event is the largest fundraiser for the Rotary Club and has raised thousands of dollars every year for youth programs, community programs and International Rotary projects.
The first initiatives that funds from the Lobster Dinner support are several local youth initiatives.
“We support things like four $1,000 scholarships to Grade 12 students in Lacombe every year,” Organizer Ivor Bernatsky said. “We have mentoring and youth leadership programs — last year we had a student from Lacombe Composite come back from Ottawa in a program called Ventures in Citizenship.”
He added Rotary has also supported the UTurn Centre and Big Brothers Big Sisters in Lacombe.
The second funding initiative is local community projects, which in the past have included the skate park, playgrounds throughout the City and the addition added to the Lacombe Food Bank.
“The third one is that Rotary is the largest service club in the world, so there are opportunities for us to partner in international projects,” Bernatsky said.
“We have had the opportunity to partner with A Better World, where we have partnered on projects like building schools and wells globally.”
He added they also directly fund Rotary International projects like schools and wells.
“We (also) send a student from Lacombe off on an international exchange,” Bernatsky said. “We also bring in a student and support that student while they are living in Lacombe learning about our community. The last one was from Thailand.”
The dinner typically attracts 300 to 400 people to the LMC and has become a “marquis” community event, according to Bernatsky.
“There is always a lot of socializing and we have a silent auction with tables that go all away around the LMC,” he said. “There is a live auction and we also have the entertainer Gery Schubert coming in.
“He is a comic-actor who plays a number of different characters. He emcees and entertains.”
The event is fully taken care of by Rotary members and Bernatsky said they have had huge support from residents and businesses.
“The Rotarians look after the event. Our biggest thing is getting the last call out there to drive ticket sales.
“It is a great event and we are very thankful for the great support we have had from the community,” he said.
Tickets are available through Rotary members, the Lacombe Rotary Club Facebook page or at www.lacomberotary.ca.