MIDALE - The 30th annual MORE 2000 fundraiser in Midale generated big money for the town's hockey arena and curling rink.
According to Midale Recreation Board chairwoman Chelsea Toles, the event did better than expected, as it raised approximately $127,000.
"We had a lot of great items, both on the live and silent [auctions]. We had a lot of laughs, and people left saying they had an excellent time. Great food. Great conversation," Toles said in an interview with Â鶹´«Ã½AV.
Approximately 350 people packed the floor of the Harry O Memorial Arena for the event. Tammy's Homestyle Cooking from Midale served a Ukrainian-style meal.
The event featured a Dutch auction with three large prizes: a $5,000 Room by Room Furniture package, a Moose Jaw getaway package that included tickets to see Shania Twain, and a $1,000 cash prize. The first name drawn had their choice of the three prizes, and it went from there.
For the 30th anniversary, Toles said a fun game was offered called Gift a Goat. People in the community could purchase the chance to give the animal to somebody in the building. At the end of the night, they pulled names from a hat, and the last name remaining, Abe Loewen, was the winner.
"We auctioned it off eight times," said Toles.
Highlights from the auctions included accommodations and tickets to a Winnipeg Jets NHL game in the Parrish & Heimbeckergrain agriculture company's box. A silver bar also brought in a lot of money.
Toles recalls she was a young child when the event started in the 1990s. They've never had a bad night, she said, and the community looks forward to the event every year.
"It's a necessary event to keep our facilities running," said Toles.
MORE 2000 helps cover the cost of operating the Harry O Memorial Arena and the Joe Vilcu Memorial Civic Centre, which houses the curling rink. Toles believes people are eager to support the event because they know the value of the rinks.
"Our facility is the gathering place where people get together; it's a place where everybody has fun and brings life to the community, and without it, I don't think there would be a Midale around. It's definitely a very important part of our community."
