The new Davidson Swimming Pool fund committee is inviting revellers to come out this Friday for a few cocktails, a good meal and a little hypnosis all for a good cause.
Erin Gust, new Swimming Pool fund committee member, said the First Annual Winter Gala taking place Nov. 23 at the Davidson community centre is being held in an effort to raise $10,000 to $12,000 for the construction of a new pool for the town. She said 130 tickets at $50 at ticket have been sold for the night out so far, but there is many still available.
“I was talking to Sharon McDonald from RBC in Saskatoon and she used to volunteer on the Royal University Hospital Foundation,” said Gust. “They do a winter gala every year and its pretty high end at about $350 a ticket. I thought if we could just scale that down a little bit and hold something like that in Davidson to serve as a Christmas party type function, we might have a pretty good turnout.”
Gust said the Gala would be a “business casual or cocktail dress” event, but if people do show up to the party in jeans and a t-shirt they won’t be turned away.
“We’re going to have cocktails at 6:30 p.m. and there is going to be a regular bar and also a Bellini bar and then dinner is going to be served at 7 till probably about 8:30 by the time we get everybody through,” said Gust, noting a Bellini bar serves slushy type drinks. “Then we’ve got the hypnotist Sebastian Steel that is going to do a two-hour show.”
The ticket price covers the show and the meal, which will be Ukrainian style featuring cabbage rolls, perogies, ham, salads and desert, but not the cocktails. There will also be a silent auction including bid items from Pioneer Hi-Bred canola seed to art to massage sessions taking place at the event.
Gust said the Davidson Kinsmen Club is sponsoring the hypnotist part of the night at a cost of $2,500 and should produce a few sleep-induced funnies for the crowd.
“Steel is from Edmonton,” she said. “The testimonials I’ve received are that he does a really clean fun show. He performs for corporate groups, school groups, church organizations and fund-raising events.”
The committee is trying to raise $1.3 million through donations, community events and grants over the next two years in order to get shovels in the ground by 2015 to start construction on the new 84 feet long by 35 feet wide six-lane pool. The pool would be located adjacent to the current pool and campground site.
Gust said the committee has started working towards the desired amount and hopes people come out to the Gala to enjoy the festivities or even to volunteer if they so choose, while they try and raise a little more money for the cause.
“The fund-raising is going really well,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of support from the community.”