On September 27, Extreme Paintball will be making its second showing in a little more than a month’s time at the Canora sports grounds.
The paintball battles are a fundraising effort by the Yorkton Community Centre, a privately-run organization offering support for young people down on their luck, said Mark Lautamus, president. Extreme Paintball shows up with about $5,000 worth of paintball equipment and the team provides the oversight while local participants have all the fun, he said.
When Extreme Paintball first came to Canora on August 23, it was the very young players and their family members who first signed up, said Lautamus. In the second round, which started around 3 p.m., it was the teens and young adults and some as old as 40 who took part. Everyone had a lot of fun which is evident by the Yorkton Community Centre being asked back so quickly.
About 40 people came out, but as is usual, about 10 watched while about 30 participated, he said. The Yorkton Community Centre offers this service throughout the area as the Community Centre really does serve the entire community, he said. Extreme Paintball has been offered as far north as Preeceville.
The Yorkton Community Centre is a not-for-profit entity, said Lautamus. The first step was to acquire a building and now that the building located next to the Yorkton Co-op grocery store has been secured, all the emphasis is on renovations and programming. The building owner, Ron Kaban has been very involved and is helping out and there are other business people from the community who are helping out. A good ex-ample is L.R. Futures which is helping with the financial aspect.
Lautamus would like to see the Yorkton Community Centre serving the community in a big way. It should have a coffee shop and there should be tutoring programs, training programs to develop cooking skills. L.R. Futures could offer courses in handling personal finances, and various events can be held under one roof. There is space for meetings and banquets, and it can serve as a drop-in centre for youth.
Lautamus said he wants it to be a place to which people from the community can refer someone who needs a hand. If immediate help can not be provided, the individual can be pointed to someplace where help is available.
The motto of the Yorkton Community Centre is: “In the community; Through the community; For the community.” Exteme Paintball is such a major part of this project, because the goal is for it to be self sufficient and not controlled by the government, said Lautamus. Another fundraiser that can be seen throughout the Yorkton area is called “Honour Boxes.” Through this program, people purchase candy bars and similar treats on the honour system. The boxes are located in various business places and the proceeds go towards the Yorkton Community Centre.
