On Thursday, March 6, the Carlyle and District Lions were proud to present the community with their 23rd Annual Fundraising Supper, Raffle, and Auction.
Memorial Hall was filled with 212 people all there looking to help the Lions raise money and come away with a delicious meal as well as a chance to win big prizes and bid for a good deal or simply a good cause.
Supper was prepared by Eileen Corrigan and Linda Chapman, with pork being supplied by Jack and Dianne Wilson. The rest of the meal was sponsored by Spectrum Resource Group.
Two of the big items of the night included a travel voucher donated by Carson Energy, which was won by Debbie Dunn, and the grand prize of $1,000 which was also sponsored by Carson Energy went to Steven Hirtle.
Wayne Wilson, Lions chairperson, welcomed everyone to the evening and encouraged people to have fun while supporting such a great cause as the Lions.
Everyone enjoyed a delicious supper and visited, with much laughter ringing through Memorial Hall, which looked wonderful as renovations had been completed a short time ago.
When everyone had finished their meal, Wilson introduced Ward Cutler as auctioneer. Cutler has been the go to auctioneer for the last 18 years and many feel he is a part of the reason the auction has been so successful.
"Ward Cutler makes a big difference and I can't thank him enough," Wilson stated. "I think he came from Brandon straight here because he had something else earlier."
This year the silent auction held a total of 28 items, while the live auction had a total of 47 donated items from businesses and individuals in the community.
Cutler auctioned 46 of the items, with the final one, which had been accidently missed was then auctioned by the man who taught Cutler, Ken Anderson.
It was a special moment, which many appreciated watching Anderson and listening to his auctioneer abilities.
In the end the silent auction brought in approximately $5,800, while the live auction reached, what Wilson believed to be a record, of $30,750.
"I was really surprised when we started totalling it up," Wilson explained.
"I don't think we've ever hit $30,000 on the live auction so this has been a great success,"
The live auction had a few items which went for over $2,000, but the item which went for the most was not the riding lawn mower or resin wicker furniture, it was a signed Olympic Team Canada jersey from the Sochi Olympics being auctioned off at $4,400.
Thus, the Lions were able to raise approximately $44,000, which is the best one to date according to Wilson. This money will now be used for the community as the Lions are already taking requests for funding and have even received a few applications.
In the past the Lions have donated to various youth sporting initiatives, have sponsored guide dogs, have sponsored youth trips, and have simply been dedicated to making a difference in the community and the world. Last year marked 50 years of service to Carlyle and district as well as a total of $1,000,000 being donated to various organizations and groups over the years, with $50,000 being given out last year alone to 20 different groups in need of funding.
Beneficial to the community and surrounding area, the Lions are always willing to help in some form in the community. In turn the community supports the Lions through evenings such as this. Generously giving donations to be auctioned off or given away as door prizes, many businesses and individuals do what they can to help because they are often the ones benefitting from the Lions' help.
"Thank you to everyone for their support for donating, buying, and coming out for supper. It's unbelievable."
