The City of North Battleford Parks and Recreation Committee has found a way to address a request for a break on rent at a Civic Centre charity event.
The event is a Jan. 5 charity game between Battlefords AAA Stars and Saskatoon Blazers, being held in memory of Wade Belak. The Parks and Recreation Committee has unanimously granted the club's request for a community grant to cover the Stars' rental fees for the Civic Centre for that night's game.
Belak is a former AAA Stars player who went on to play in the NHL for the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators.
Proceeds from the game are to go to a trust fund set up for Belak's daughters. A silent auction and social is planned as part of the fundraising effort. In their application for the community grant, the club estimates between 700 and 1,000 people could be in attendance.
The AAA Stars approached city council a week earlier seeking a waiver of the rental fees for that game.
City council turned down the request, citing the need for a consistent policy when addressing those requests from various users of the facility. It was also noted the facility's costs are already subsidized up to 50 per cent.
However, the hockey club's request was redirected to the Parks and Recreation Committee to see if rental fees could be covered under the Community Grant Program. The club put in a request for a grant of $666.75, covering $495 in Civic Centre rental fees, $140 for the upper auditorium as well as the GST.
Parks and Recreation Director Keith Anderson told the committee Monday he had "double-checked" with Regina, and determined the organization had indeed met the criteria for the community grant. The AAA Stars' request for $666.75 to cover rental fees was approved unanimously by the committee Monday.
Two other community grants were also approved at the committee meeting, held this month at the Allen Sapp Gallery.
One was a request by Battlefords Co-op Aquatic Centre for $5,089.00 for a Senior Swim Program, and they also requested $4,248.28 for an ACT Therapy Swim drop-in exercise program for individuals of all ages. Both requests met the community grant criteria.
