The Rotary Club of Ladysmith fundraiser last month for Disaster Aid Canada and eradicating polio was a success and raised over $8,000.
The event was held at Aggie Hall on April 22 where attendees enjoyed hot and cold appetizers as part of the ticket price while also having the opportunity to bid on silent and live auction items.
“A true community spirit can be had while having a lot of fun and fellowship,” said Don Mercer, chair of the organizing committee.
Ladysmith Rotary is the official sponsor of Disaster Aid Canada for this area, which includes Vancouver Island and part of northern Washington State.
Auctioneer Scott Swistzhew helped Rotary set a record for the live auction by raising over $4,300, including $100.00 for a pie, $325 for a three hour sail and picnic lunch with wine, $450 for a eight hour fishing charter for two people, $325 for a 40 minute ride over Victoria in a Nanchang CJ6A aircraft, $250 for a one-hour sight-seeing flight to Victoria from Nanaimo and $325 for an auction package funded by the Ladysmith Secondary’s Rotary Interact Club of a hanging basket, gift card, flower seeds and gardening tools along with three hours of garden work as well as $500 for woodwork by Bill Hutchinson and $520 for an IKON IK400 LED projector and IS 72 Projector Screen.
The silent auction also helped collected over $1,600.00 while ticket sales and beverages added to the overall total.
Each Disaster Aid Canada kit costs about $1,000 and includes a waterproof tent, dishes, mosquito nets, blankets, a multi-fuel stove, clean water systems and other items.
The seven-person shelters and accompanying kits are shipped to areas in Canada and disaster zones around the world where people are in need.
