By Joel van der Veen

KENASTON — The guest list ran the gamut from farmers and businessmen to MLAs, MPs and senators.

They were all there for one purpose — to take Barry Firby down a peg in the name of charity.

Close to 250 people were gathered at Kenaston Place on June 17 for a charity retirement roast, with Firby, a longtime coach, political and community organizer, as the “Man of the Hour.”

Firby, 70, and his family organized the event to celebrate his impending retirement from politics, and to support a couple of causes near to his heart.

He told the Leader he was pleased with the response and turnout, adding that there were no hard feelings.

“A roast, of course, is a bit of a different format,” he said. “Everything was meant to entertain. . . We said there was no holds barred, and it was fine.”

His daughter Mackenzie said they began planning the event at Christmas, inspired in part by a previous roast held in honour of the late Senator Doug Finley.

She acknowledged there was some risk involved: “You plan a big event like that . . . You don’t really know what they’re going to say.”

 

Proceeds from the evening are being divided equally between two causes.

Half will be donated to the Kenaston Community Recreation Board, which works to maintain, support and fundraise for the village’s pool, rink and community hall.

The other half will be directed to the Senator Doug Finley Memorial Fun, created to support young people interested in entering politics. The fund is named in honour of Finley, a campaign director for the Conservative Party who was appointed to the Senate in 2009 and died in 2013.

For the full story, please see the June 26 edition of The Davidson Leader or call 306-567-2047 to subscribe today.