100 Mile House Waterpark Society spokesperson Jamie Hughes says the society is ecstatic to receive a $5,000 cheque from the local Western Financial Group.
She adds every dollar helps bring the dream of having a splash park in Centennial Park closer to becoming a reality.
So far, the society has raised $83,000 for the facility.
However, Hughes says they are still around $67,000 short, but it will be less when they get the material and labour donations they have been promised once the construction begins.
She notes the waterpark society still has to come up with around $20,000 for engineering fees, and then have money set aside for contingency funds.
To help with fundraising, the society has set up a gofundme account (https:www.gofundme.com/fhqhpv3w) so people can make donations without having to wait for a specific fundraiser.
So far, they have raised $700.
However, the goal is to raise $25,000, because once it’s reached, the society can ask different funding sources for a community match.
Hughes says they won’t be doing any more fundraisers, except for its outdoor Movie Night in Centennial Park or a drive-in if they can find a sponsor.
We’re hoping the movie night will be our big finale for fundraising, she adds.
“I really do have so much faith in this project. I believe it will be a building force for our community to bring in more young families, which would give people hope our community can, and will grow in the right direction.
“It’s not just an activity for young children; it’s an activity for all ages, and it’s an addition to our already beautiful park.”
Local Western Financial Group spokesperson Lori Cleave says WFG founded the non-profit Western Communities Foundation (WCF) in 2002 to give back to the communities that WFG employees live and work in.
The WCF mission statement also promotes pride in WFG employees through their involvement in a variety of charitable programs focused on public health, public housing, education and recreation.
Each year, the WCF awards a series of $5,000 infrastructure grants to support community projects identified by WFG staff.
The Community Infrastructure Grant program is designed to enable a branch to apply to support a major community infrastructure project for renovation or construction of a community’s publicly owned asset (arena, park, library, community hall, pool, etc.).
