ESTEVAN - The Estevan Lions Club is pleased with the support shown from the community during the organization's first-ever Sirens Duelling Pianos fundraiser on Friday night.
More than 220 tickets were sold for the event at the Estevan Exhibition Association's building. They enjoyed a supper catered by A Little Taste of Heaven, and then music by the Sirens Dueling Pianos, comprised of Jacquie Walbaum of Forget and Kylee Carver of Fillmore. The tandem has the only all-female Dueling Pianos show in Saskatchewan.
"The entertainment was excellent. We heard lots of people comment on it. Lots of people want to see them back again next year," said past-president Travis Olver. "They thought it was a great show and very well put together by the entertainment group."
He had not heard the duo before, but Olver said it was great to have them in Estevan, and he thought it was fun. Walbaum and Carver have great vocals and played off of each other well, he said, and they played the music people wanted to hear. He saw many people dancing.
"They played a variety of genres, right from late rock to country to pop to all kinds of stuff," said Olver. "We had a great mix in the crowd so they all enjoyed it."
It was similar to other dueling pianos concerts in Estevan in which people would pay money to hear a song performed. Olver thought it helped to have a duo comprised of performers from the southeast.
"It's something that hasn't been in the community in a while, either, so everybody just wanted to get out and have a nice evening," he said.
The Lions believe they raised around $7,000, and Olver expects they will be doing something again next year.
The funds raised will be directed towards upgrades at the outdoor rink at the Rusty Duce Playpark in northwest Estevan. The club wants to install permanent boards at the facility.
"We're looking … to install a grade beam to mount permanent boards on. The permanent boards and the screen will stay in year-round. In the summertime, we hope to use it as a beach volleyball court, with a sand base in it, and in the wintertime the sand will be frozen and we'll make an ice surface."
The Lions are more than halfway to the $135,000 goal for the project. Money has been raised through ticket sales for its annual lottery and other initiatives. They hope construction can begin in late 2024 or early 2025.
Olver said this is the first time in a while the club has done anything outside of its annual fundraising golf tournament for the CNIB or the lottery ticket sales.
Ticket sales for the lottery will wrap up on Oct. 13. Anybody who wants to get a ticket can contact a Lions' Club member.
