Full house at the Ducks Unlimited banquet
By Joan Janzen
It was a packed house at the Ducks Unlimited (DU) charity banquet and fundraiser in Kindersley on October 15th at the Kindersley Elks Hall. The last banquet was held in 2019, so everyone was more than ready to have some fun and support a great cause.
“It is for a really good cause. It does a lot to preserve what we have and preserve it for our future,” Sherry Casswell, chair of the Kindersley DU committee, explained. “There are a few spots around the community that are dedicated to Ducks Unlimited areas that people aren’t aware of.”
The evening kicked off with cocktails and dinner catered by Simply Satisfied, who served a delicious meal to 180 guests. Those guests had an opportunity to view the auction and raffle items. “We had five different raffles and an amazing number of donated items,” Sherry said. “It was unbelievable; our sponsorship was very good! We don’t have the final numbers yet, but we did raise approximately $30,000.”
Funds raised from the event remain in the province. Sherry noted that Ducks Unlimited has twelve projects within a 100 km radius of Kindersley.
The raffles and bidding on silent auctions took place before the live auction started. “It was a really successful evening!” Sherry said.
Success included more than the amount raised during the evening. Sherry said they have been attending DU banquets for many years and during the past five years, have noticed the crowd has gotten a lot younger. “It’s kind of come full circle, and it’s great to see the younger generation out there,” she noted. “We got two more people to sign up at the banquet. Sometimes that’s all it takes is someone seeing what is happening and wanting to join.”
The new members will join the current committee consisting of Sherry Casswell, Ray Varty, Erica Casswell, Melanie Varty, Lorne Greenwood, Clayton Sorensen, Amanda Francis, James Francis, Josh Goetz, Barb Alexander, Tanya Casswell, Nathan Bowden, Staci Von Dewitz, and Grant Casswell. Grant, fondly dubbed the “Duck Guy,” is treasurer, and vice chairman on the Provincial Council for DU, and goes above and beyond to keep the local club alive and thriving.
Committee members are called upon to sell calendars, help with the quad raffle, and, starting in July, begin preparing for the upcoming banquet. “It’s amazing how much planning is involved with the banquet,” Sherry said. “We try to do something different every year.”
“We have an amazing committee; great people who are willing to do anything and everything,” she said. “It’s nice to have a group of people who are really committed to doing things and not afraid to speak up and come up with different ideas. We want to make the banquet better and more fun for the people that are attending.”
More than anything, Sherry Casswell noticed everyone was having a lot of fun at this year’s charity banquet, which is what the event is all about. It’s a good excuse to get out for an evening of fun and support a cause. Next year the DU group looks forward to celebrating their 40th anniversary!