Just a few years ago, a group of individuals and businesses came together to offer their assistance to people affected by flooding. The event was a success raising over $40,000 in 2011, which helped many in the R.M. of Enniskillen who were most affected by the flooding.
Many communities in the southeast were affected by another flooding event having occurred at the end of June this year. The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Saskatchewan Flood Aid has therefore once again come together to help alleviate pressures, this time in five communities including Carievale, Gainsborough, Storthoaks, Alida, and Redvers.
The event is being planned for Saturday, Sept. 13, and will be held in Oxbow at the high school. Together Safe-Tee Management, Grace Music Notes, Star Mercer and Oxbow Building Supplies, as well as Tammy Workman have spearheaded the event. Many volunteers have since stepped up, while numerous donations have come in from businesses and citizens alike.
"[SaskArc's] $10,000 is going towards that [purchasing the car]," Georgia Britt, one of the organizing volunteers, explained. "Head for the Hills Vet Clinic and Spearings have also donated $1,000 a piece, and we have a couple of anonymous donors that have made that possible. [Power Dodge of Estevan] are giving it to us for $1,000 below dealer cost and they're paying the taxes on that"
The black 2014 Chrysler 200 LX is currently being displayed at Power Dodge in Estevan and is the largest live auction item for the event.
In addition to these donations which have resulted in a car, a lawn maintenance package from the John Deere in Oxbow has surfaced as well as artwork, quilts, a Welsh paint cross pony, and much more.
"People are being really generous, it's going to be a huge auction, and it's going to help a lot of people," Britt exclaimed. "We're going to multiply the cash donations by getting big items and those who can't make cash donations anything is appreciated, we're getting lots of smaller things too, and it's going to make this a really big thing for a lot of people."
People and businesses have also been providing cash donations, which Britt says will be stretched through purchasing discounted auction items.
"We have lots of people donating," she explained. "All cash contributions coming in are going to be used to get other items for the auction at discounted rates, so we'll probably be looking for things like jewelry or furniture or that kind of thing and we'll be getting them at discounted rates so we can really stretch that much further."
The event on Sept. 13 will begin at 4 p.m. with auction viewing and followed at 4:30 p.m. with part of the live auction before a cold plate supper is served at 6:30 p.m. During supper David Hyman will perform. As he finishes more auction items will be done, while Product of Canada and Jimmy G & the Cable Guys will each take to the stage later in the evening.
There will be a live auction, silent auction with a but now option, and Chinese auctions throughout the night along with an optional 50/50 draw.
Tickets for the event are $30 each or a table of eight can be purchased for $220. These can be found at The Magnolia Flower in Carnduff, The Pearl Boutique in Carlyle, Chapman's Grocery Store in Arcola, Pharmasave in Redvers, Power Dodge in Estevan, and through Jennifer Henderson in Gainsborough and Carievale by calling her at (306)928-4652. Tickets are also available at Safe-Tee Management in Oxbow at (306)483-2480, where any other inquiries regarding the evening can be posed as well.
Britt explained that all money raised, following the payment of expenses, will be divided between the five communities.
"All of the money from the auction will be divided equally and the profit, after they recoup their expenses from the ticket sales [for] the food and the liquor, everything else from the ticket sales will be included in [the money raised] and will be divided five ways," Britt stated. "[It] will go to the EMO's of each of the five involved towns, so Carievale, Gainsborough, Storthoaks, Alida, and Redvers will get an equal portion of the money, then people can apply to their EMO's or the EMO will decide how to disperse the money in each community."
In motion and set to be a great night of music and fellowship the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Saskatchewan Flood Group is also looking for volunteers to help during the event.
" we are definitely accepting donations of help, we're just looking for volunteers to head out on the floor and do various things like that," Britt stated.
Overall she added: "It was just a group of people who just really wanted to help out. This was a big success three years ago in Oxbow, so they thought to do the same thing again. We have a lot of super talented people around, so we thought we'd provide a nice entertainment evening with a cold plate informal supper"
"It's a really great group of people; these guys are working really, really, really hard."
