CARLYLE - The Carlyle Community Complex Foundation has been very busy holding fundraisers for the new school in the town.
They have been fundraising since August 2022 and in the spring of 2023, they received word from the provincial government that Carlyle would receive a new school for pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 students. It will include a daycare.
This sent the small community into a celebration as they had been waiting for this news for 10 years.
Foundation committee chairwoman Tammie Riddell said they needed to have something bigger for a fundraiser, as selling hotdogs and doing vendor stands would take a long time to raise the money needed for the project.
The school will cost millions of dollars that will be covered by the government, but if they wanted to add to this project, the cost would be a great deal higher.
Over the years, there have been farmers that have donated land to the future of farming, and since this is a farming community, they set the wheels in motion for the complex fundraiser.
Shane and Ashley Valentine graciously donated 91 acres for the project, which is located seven kilometres north of Carlyle.
The project called “Farming for the Future” was planted in soft white wheat, to be used for ethanol.
On Sept. 7, harvest took place with a group of onlookers seeing how well the crop had done.
With the lack of rain on this year's crop season, Riddell was glad to report they still received a good yield in the first year. The crop raised $60,000.
To date the complex foundation has raised $83,000.
Now to prepare for the 2024 crop, 306 Ag Resource Group donated their time, equipment and the fertilizer called Bio-Sul to be applied to the soil for the second annual crop.
The next fundraiser is for hockey fans on Oct. 20, beginning at 7 p.m. The Estevan Bruins will play the Notre Dame Hounds for the Carlyle Cup at the Sports Arena. This is the second straight year the teams have met in Carlyle.
Tickets will be available at the beginning of October at many local businesses in Carlyle from any committee member. There will be pre-sale ticket draws and a 50/50 at the game with a guaranteed jackpot.
So come on out and support the Carlyle Community Complex Foundation, Riddell believes it will be a game worth watching.
