NORTH BATTLEFORD — A Ukrainians in Crisis fundraiser took place at SHE-NANIGAN’S, April 2, raising $9,350.
The former Ukrainian Social Hall appropriately hosted an evening that started with Jeff Hamm, who played soft jazz on his guitar while the guests entered the building and found their seats. He continued to play while dinner was served, and it was a perfect background ambiance to the meal. The meal itself was a tribute to Ukraine, and was given a huge thumbs up by the women of Ukrainian heritage who attended.
This was followed by Doug Sylvester and Jeff Arndt playing a few songs to entertain diners while the auctioneer was getting ready to start the loud, boisterous, raucously fun part of the evening featuring a live auction of donated items. Boyd Stuart kept the crowd roaring with his quick wit and engaging patter while his wife Kristen kept track of the bidders and what the winning bid was on each item,
The extremely generous donations brought a bounty of bidding, and some of the items were even bid over retail value.
Volunteers who helped with the cooking, serving and cleaning and other aspects of the evening were the backbone of the event. Darlene Soucess donated her art and time and the assistance of her husband Bev. She has braided blue and yellow ribbons to acknowledge donations.
Organizers say, "We would love to thank the very deserving people who made the event a tremendous success, we couldn’t have done this without them."
Among many volunteers was the "unknown wanderer" who came and washed dishes then disappeared.
The generosity of those who donated items to the auction is also appreciated.
"With all sincerity, we can’t thank the North Battleford community enough for the tremendous support shown for this worthy cause. We are truly humbled and honoured to be part of this amazing town," organizers say.
