听 听 听 听 听 听 The sounds of swing were featured as the Maryfield and District Lions Club hosted a big band-themed fundraiser on Friday, Nov. 13 at the community's auditorium, featuring Lions member Mark Humphries and His Orchestra.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The concert was a near sell-out as over 300 attendees from the area-including concert-goers from Maryfield, Wawota, Redvers, Stoughton, Estevan and Elkhorn, Manitoba-filled the Maryfield Auditorum as Humphries and his 18-member group of muscians entertained the crowd with 1940s-style swing. The group, which has been seven months in the making, includes men and women from ages 20 to over 70; and their performance in Maryfield was their first.
`听听听听听听听听听听 Although a final total was not available at press time, Swallow says, 鈥淚 would say we easily made $5,000, which will all go funding community projects.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Humphries-originally from the U.K.- and a member of the Maryfield Lions Club, told The Observer: 鈥淲e're grateful for the Lions to give us a chance and we're excited to help the Lions raise money,鈥� adding, 鈥淭here are no swing bands outside Winnipeg and Regina, so we're a unique item to the area and we're not something you see often.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Lions member and past president Barb Swallow says, 鈥淥ur motto is 'We Serve.'鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e try to help out with a wide variety of things in the community,鈥� she adding that the local Lions use a three-pronged approach to charitable giving.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淕roups might come to us to help raise funds,鈥� says Swallow. 鈥淔or example, we helped raise funds for the digital projector in the Maryfield Auditorium, and we also helped raise funds for the cement floor in the rink. Those are two examples of bigger projects we've been involved in.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e've also helped fund Telehealth for the clinic in town and we've contributed to organizations like the fire department and as an outside project, we contributed $1,000 to the Redvers Lions, which helped to fund the fuel wagon for STARS (air ambulance).鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e also are involved in service,鈥� she says. 鈥淟ocally, Lions members always work at the food booth at the rink during the Maryfield Fair, which is held every July. We also work food booths at auctions, and we're also often asked to cater to wedding suppers, another thing we do.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 听 鈥淎nd in the past, we've contributed money to people who have lost their homes to fire,鈥� adds Swallow. 鈥淢ore recently, we contributed money to the Fred Hill family in the Mair area, whose home was affected by flooding.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淥n the funding side of things, we have assisted people in our area with medical expenses. The听 costs of something like a transplant听 are huge. We ask for medical receipts and it's often expenses like accomodation that can really add up.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The club-which is celebrating its 47th year-also puts out a monthly newsletter. Hard copies are delivered to mailboxes in Maryfield and Fairlight, as well as the Manitoba communities of Cromer and Kola. The newsletter can also be accessed online at .
听听听听听听听听听听听 The Maryfield Lions currently have a local membership of 鈥渁bout 20 members,鈥� says Swallow. 鈥淲e also offer an online membership option. Our members come from Maryfield, Fairlight and Mair, and we also have members from just inside the Manitoba border.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淥ne of our online members is from Prince Albert, and she came down to help with our Big Band fundraiser. Online membership is an option for people who want to be part of a Lions Club, but who can't attend our monthly meetings.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Swallow says the club's latest fundraiser was a success.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 really do want to thank people for coming out and supporting us,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd I think that the Big Band sound is very popular with the generation who grew up with that music. Mark is such a wonderful entertainer and the whole thing was just excellent.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t takes a very dedicated club to put something like this together. I would like to thank our Liobs Club members for all their hard work,鈥� says Swallow.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e did this to bring money back into the community and I think we accomplished that.鈥�
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