Hope Rotary Club is hosting a live and silent auction fundraiser this Saturday at the Hope Legion.
A variety of items will be up for grabs, ranging in value from $25-$1,400, and there will be door prizes, a cash bar and refreshments provided by 293 Wallace St. Restaurant and Hope Subway. All proceeds from the event will go towards community Rotary projects, particularly upgrades to Centennial Park and Rotary Trail.
“Being at the event, people are providing some financial support so that the Rotary Club can take on some of its initiatives which are basically to improve community life for everybody in Hope,” said outgoing club president Shawn Eldridge.
The live and silent auctions will have everything from local restaurant gift certificates and small electronic devices, like a Kobo eReader from Spectra Energy, to large power equipment items like a hedge trimmer donated by Canyon Cable, a $400 power saw from Jim Dent Construction, and a power washer from Rona. Some of the featured items include a four-night stay at Legends in Whistler in a two bedroom condo with a kitchen donated by Gardner GM and a barbecue package worth over $500 from Cooper’s Foods. Cooper’s will host a barbecue for the successful bidder and six friends and leave behind a new Broil King barbecue. Fraser River Rafting has also donated a rafting trip for two, while Valley Helicopters has donated a 20 min mountain ride.
Doors to the auctions open at 6:30 p.m. on May 24. Admission is $5.
The Hope Rotary Club was chartered in 1946 and has been involved in many local community projects and events over the years like Flight Fest and Brigade Days. A number of parks and trails, the local health unit, Hope Museum, local sports facilities and enhancements at the Fraser Canyon Hospital display the Rotary Wheel as projects completed by the local club. They have also teamed up with other community groups in supporting larger projects, such as the recreation centre/library complex, the Rotary deck in Centennial Park and the Rotary clock in front of municipal hall. Hope Rotary Club also sponsors high school scholarships and bursaries, is involved in the Adventure in Citizenship program and sends young entrepreneurs to RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards).
The club, which will be under new leadership on July 3 when John Fortoloczky takes over as president, has spent the last year focusing on attracting young entrepreneurs. The local Rotary chapter now has 21 members representing the community’s diverse demographics.
“We’re really trying to get people to be engaged in the community and what’s happening,” said Eldridge. “One of the big things we’re focusing on is trying to get members passionate about what Rotary stands for, which is service above self. So donating your time, talents and expertise for the betterment of the community. Just getting everyone focused on some common goals and trying to meet those goals through focused attention on timelines.”
Hope Rotary Club meets every Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at Kan Yon Restaurant.
