By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — A major donation announced late last month has brought the fundraising total for Davidson’s new swimming pool to six figures.
The pool committee announced on June 29 that Saskatoon-based PIC Investments had agreed to donate $250,000 towards the project on behalf of Panther Industries, Inc. of Davidson, bringing the total raised so far to the million-dollar mark.
In three years of fundraising, the committee has raised a total of $1,065,000 to replace the current swimming pool, completed in 1967 as a centennial project.
In a statement issued Thursday, president Jack Schneider said Panther Industries was proud to make the donation, adding that the company has always supported activities for young people in the area.
“It is important that our town has the best facilities in order to give people who live here the highest quality of life,” stated Schneider. “It gives the people who live here a reason to stay, and also gives new people a reason to come and make this their home.”
In its announcement, the pool committee expressed its appreciation to PIC Investments and Panther Industries.
Committee member Jessica Foster said more information would be available after its meeting this week.
She also said fundraisers are looking forward to hearing the results from Cargill’s Together We Thrive contest, which began on April 15 and ended on June 30.
The swimming pool was one of dozens of community projects from across Canada entered in the contest, which offered six grants valued at $25,000.
Residents were encouraged to log in and vote every day; the Davidson pool project received a total of 21,234 votes, finishing in first place for Saskatchewan and third place across Canada.
A panel of judges will select the six projects that will receive grants, including one each from northern and southern Saskatchewan. The winners will be announced at the beginning of August.
Other contenders from the area include the Craik and District Regional Park (11,815 votes), the Arm River branch of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (141 votes) and the Kenaston branch of Wheatland Regional Library (72 votes).
Meanwhile, Davidson’s recreation director, Trevor Ouellette, said he could not offer an update on construction plans for the new pool.
Ouellette said he is waiting for information from engineers and that the new build was on the agenda for a recreation meeting last Wednesday.
He said he hopes to be able to present a concrete plan for the pool’s construction in the near future, but added, “It’s still up to council’s discretion.”