The Blackfalds Optimist Club will be hosting a Governor’s Gala to help them on their way towards a goal of raising over $400,000 for the new skateboard park.
The gala will take place in the Blackfalds Community Hall on the evening of June 19th.
Tickets for the gala are $75 per person and include a catered dinner and an evening of entertainment through Calgary Duelling Pianos. Doors open for the evening at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served around 7 p.m.
“Normally, when people go to a duelling piano event, they will come up with a couple bucks and request a song. Then, the pianists play and sing the song. If someone wants to change it, they go up and drop down their money and request a new song. Those are the kind I’ve been too anyway. It’s pretty fun and it’s entertaining to watch,” said Optimist member Shannon DeLeeuw.
“We’re trying to build a new skateboard park in Blackfalds. We have quite a huge amount of money that we’re trying to get – our goal is in the $400,000 range. We’re doing the gala and we do a Yuk Yuk’s event before Christmas, and that usually brings in quite a bit toward that goal. It’s a dinner as well, but with comedians instead of music.”
For the last year and a half, the club has worked in conjunction with the Town of Blackfalds to raise funds for a new skateboard park that is being planned. The new park would be constructed adjacent to All-Star Park, and would include a washroom facility, a BMX component and more parking.
So far, funds raised for the skateboard park have been secured through comedy events, a themed casino, a princess tea and through applying to grant programs. As well, the non-profit Optimist club receives funding in lieu of volunteers for local bingo and casino events.
“They’re kind of working on the designing process for the skate park right now. We had an open-forum style meeting at the church around the end of April, where we had the designers come in and about 75 kids attended. The designers put posters and things on the walls, and had the kids put dots on what they wanted to see in the park, so we got to see what the kids want and the designers have been working with that in the design,” DeLeeuw said.
“We’re also working closely with the Town of Blackfalds because the Town is supplying the land that the skateboard park will be put on. They want to have a really nice park along with the skateboard park so it’s just a nice place to go and hang out.”
The mandate of the Blackfalds Optimist Club members is to, ‘Bring out the best in kids’. The new skateboard park will allow a safe, spacious area for the youths in Blackfalds to test their skills.
“Everything we do is for the kids in our community. Every time we do try to do a fundraiser or anything like that, we’re always working on something for the children or the community.”
kmendonsa@lacombeexpress.com