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Courtenay Spring Fling a fundraising success

Province donates $10,000 to Legacy Fund
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Comox Valley MLA Don McRae was in the giving spirit. After purchasing raffle tickets from committee member Sharon Farquharson

Hundreds came out to the Florence Filberg Centre on Friday, March 18 for the Courtenay Spring Social, and the organizers are thrilled by the response – so thrilled, in fact, they’re already talking about doing it all again next year.

“It was fantastic,” said Rod Hunter, Courtenay Centennial Committee member. “It was even better than we had hoped. People really got into the spirit of it, we wanted a fun, casual night and that’s exactly how it turned out.

“The performances were great. We want to thank the musicians, sound and lighting people for donating their time to this worthwhile cause,” continued Hunter. “Bruce and Judy Wing along with Blaine Dunaway got the evening off to a great start, and then Reunion had the place jumping. They had people up on their feet within the first song, and that lasted the rest of the night. Mike Sutcliffe, a fantastic sound man, made it all work.”

Funds raised are still being tallied, but are estimated at close to $30,000 for the Centennial Legacy Fund, supporting the development of local children and youth through their participation in academic, athletic, cultural, recreational, vocational and other activities provided by non-profit organizations in the Courtenay area where funding is a barrier to participation. The fund is administered by the Comox Valley Community Foundation. A final fundraising total is expected later this month.

Comox Valley MLA Don McRae stunned organizers by presenting a surprise $10,000 donation from the Province of British Columbia to the Centennial Legacy Fund.

“We were not expecting that,” said Hunter. “We are so grateful to MLA McRae and the Province of British Columbia, this is a cause we are very passionate about and it feels great to have their support.”

An additional $3,000 was raised through the WestJet ticket raffle for two tickets anywhere WestJet flies. The lucky ticket winner was Carol Rice. A 50/50 draw raised approximately $900 more. Funds raised through these raffles will be used to support local youth in 2016.

Other prizes included a gift basket from downtown Courtenay merchants, Hot Chocolates & Cakebread gift baskets, KitchenAid stand mixer and Keurig coffee maker donated by Quality Foods, and a surprise gift pack from Cascadia Liquor.

The Courtenay Centennial Committee and the City of Courtenay would like to thank the following for helping make this event such a success:

Westjet, Quality Foods, Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association, Hot Chocolates, Billy D’s, Better Mousetrap, Gladstone Brewery, Forbidden Brewery, Rotary Club of Courtenay, Cascadia Liquor, ABC Printing, Evergreen Club for all their help putting together the chili buffet, Reunion, Bruce and Judy Wing, Blaine Dunaway, Mike Sutcliffe, and Anne Lawrie.

–City of Courtenay